The Chaotic Calligraphy Lesson

Kyōsai portrays a riotous calligraphy class where students brawl, joke, and overturn their desks while a helpless teacher struggles to restore order. The lively chaos turns a scene of discipline into pure farce — a sharp satire on formal education and the emptiness of rote learning. With his characteristic humor, Kyōsai exposes how the pursuit of art loses meaning when spirit and sincerity are replaced by mere routine.

Kawanabe Kyōsai
Woodblock print, ca. 1863–1866
From the series: One Hundred Pictures by Kyōsai (暁斎百図, Kyōsai Hyakuzu)
Format: small-format sheet (koban-ban), first edition
Publisher: Wakasaya Yoichi (若狭屋与市)
Dimensions: approx. 13 × 18 cm
Medium: polychrome woodblock print (nishiki-e) on handmade washi paper
Edition & Printing Details
This sheet belongs to the first edition of Kyōsai Hyakuzu, published between 1863–1866.

Note
This description is part of an evolving research project. Very few collections of this kind exist worldwide, and each newly studied sheet refines our understanding of the series. The catalogue will be continuously updated and expanded — leaving room for fresh interpretations, new connections, and unexpected discoveries that keep the collection alive and intriguing.