清方は明治24年（1891）に13歳で、歴史画を主に描いていた日本画家・水野年方に弟子入りしました。写生や臨模（りんも）のほか、時には年方の蔵書から「俊基東下り（としもとあずまくだり）」や「経政竹生島詣（つねまさちくぶじまもうで）」を好んで朗読していたといいます。
清方が年方に指導してもらい、初めて完成させたのが本作品です。
楠正成の子・正行は、高師直に横恋慕された女流歌人・弁内侍を救います。後に帝から正式に内侍を賜る話がありましたが、それを辞退しました。

---

Kusunoki Masatsura Saving Ben-no-Naishi (1894)
color on paper; framed
65.0 x 93.0 cm

In 1891 when Kiyokata was thirteen, he started to train with Mizuno Toshikata, a Nihonga painter who mainly produced historical paintings. In addition to sketching and copying from models, Kiyokata occasionally enjoyed reading aloud from books in Toshikata’s library such as Toshimoto Azuma Kudari (Toshimoto’s Journey to the East) or Tsunemasa Chikubujima Mōde (Tsunemasa Visiting Chikubu Island).
This is the first work that Kiyokata completed after starting his lessons with Toshikata.
Masatsura, the son of Kusunoki Masashige, rescued the Lady Ben-no-naishi, illicitly loved by Kōno Moronao. Later, the emperor wanted to award Naishi to Masatsura as his wife, but Masatsura declined.