The tiny bull frog stands proud, chest puffed out ready to roar at the world in this ink painting by Takeuchi Keishu. The ink painting is grounded in a patterned green silk border with rosewood rollers. The scroll measures 78.8 x 149 cm (31 x 58-1/2 inches) and is in overall excellent condition.
Takeuchi Keishū (1861–1942) was an ukiyo-e and book illustrator active during the Meiji and Taishō periods. He was born in 1861 in the Kii Domain residence in Edo, given name Shinpei. At one point, he was adopted by the Kanō school painter Kanō Eitoku and took the name Keishin, but later returned to his birth family. Early in his career, he became a member of Kenyūsha, the literary society led by author Ozaki Kōyō, and gained recognition for his illustrations in magazines such as Miyako no Hana and Bunko. Around 1894 he began illustrating for newspapers, which significantly increased his popularity. He later became chief illustrator for major publications from Hakubunkan, including Taiyō, Bungei Kurabu, and Shōnen Sekai. Alongside Iwaya Sazanami, he made substantial contributions to the world of children’s fairy tales and picture books. Keishū also produced many war prints during the Russo-Japanese War.From the Taishō period onward, he gradually withdrew from woodblock print illustration and turned his focus to painting. One of these, Gosho Ningyō-zu (Imperial Palace Doll Portrait), was selected for use by the Empress Dowager in 1937. He passed away in 1942 at the age of 83.
