woman lying on her stomach, reading a page of text, with an orange and white cat sitting on top of a short brown and black chest at left; woman wears a brown kimono with black checks; mounted on moderately stiff backing paper

I want to cancel my subscription, January 1878

Not on Viewexpand_more

From the 1870s to the 1880s, newspapers based on Western models were established in Japan, and they were of two types: “large” newspapers, which catered to intellectuals

and elites and focused on governing; and “small” newspapers, which attracted the masses. A woman hunkers on her elbows over Kanayomi shinbun; her cat perches
disinterestedly on a little chest. Founded by Kanagaki Robun (1829–1894), Kanayomi shinbun (newspaper in Kana) was a short-lived “small” newspaper that covered popular culture and sensational news. The name, Kanayomi, literally means “to read kana,” as even the Chinese characters include annotations assisting the reading.
This print belongs to a series titled A Collection of Desires, in which Yoshitoshi explored simple desires by combining themes with the personality types of beautiful women. For the woman in this print, “cancellation” has a double meaning: one regarding subscriptions, and the other about wanting to disavow a tryst with a lover that was uncovered.

Details
Title
I want to cancel my subscription
Artist Life
1839 - 1892
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2017.106.137
Catalogue Raisonne
Keyes, Courage and Silence (1982), no. 370.8; Iwakiri, Yoshitoshi (2014), fig. 250, p. 282.
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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woman lying on her stomach, reading a page of text, with an orange and white cat sitting on top of a short brown and black chest at left; woman wears a brown kimono with black checks; mounted on moderately stiff backing paper