The Work
Silkscreen, edition 81/185, signed by the artist
Frame: 59 × 73 cm (depth 1.5 cm) | Image: 39.5 × 52.5 cm
He was six years old. His grandmother held him and stepped into the sea. The warriors gave chase — but what exactly were they pursuing?
In the final moments of the Genpei War, the child Emperor Antoku was carried into the waters of Dan-no-ura by his grandmother, the Nun of the Second Rank, as the Heike clan faced total defeat. Takeda does not depict the battle. He depicts the moment after — the silence beneath the surface, the weight of a dynasty ending not with a sword, but with the sea.
Through his distinctly modern and satirical visual language, Takeda transforms one of the most devastating scenes in Japanese literature into something quietly unbearable. The image lingers.
Condition & Presentation
The print is housed in a wooden frame with acrylic glazing. The frame shows signs of age — scratches and wear consistent with vintage framed works — which complement the historical atmosphere of the print. The print itself is in excellent condition with no damage.
About Hideo Takeda
Born in Osaka in 1948, Hideo Takeda studied sculpture at Tama Art University (M.A., 1973) before establishing himself as one of Japan's most distinctive satirical artists. In 1976, he received the Bungeishunju Cartoonist Prize. His work spans printmaking, illustration, and publishing — with over 150 solo exhibitions and 18 books to his name.
In 1993, Takeda held a solo exhibition at the Japanese Gallery of the British Museum in London, accompanied by the publication Takeda Hideo and The Japanese Cartoon Tradition at The British Museum. In 2006, he exhibited alongside the celebrated French illustrator Tomi Ungerer.
The Genpei series, published as a book by Kyuryudo in 1985, represents one of his most sustained engagements with Japanese historical narrative — reimagined through an eye that is at once irreverent, precise, and deeply felt.
Provenance documentation available on request.
Part of a triptych. Best experienced alongside Burning of the Great Buddha Hall and The Fan Target. View the complete set →
