This painting of the Emperor was reproduced in a British newspaper the day his death was announced in 1912.  The painting depicts the Meiji Emperor in full, European style military regalia.  Artistic and photographic displays of the Meiji Emperor were important tools for sending messages to the general Japanese society about both tradition and the need to adopt Western political, technological, and military ideas.  Judging by the age of the Emperor, this picture depicts him in the late 19th Century.

Credit: Donated by Corbis-Bettmann