Watanabe Seitei (1851–1918), also known as Watanabe Shōtei, was a Japanese painter and printmaker celebrated for his exquisite depictions of birds, flowers, and landscapes in the Nihonga style. Born Yoshikawa Mosuke on May 2, 1851, in Edo (now Tokyo) to a samurai family serving the Shirai domain, he adopted the name Seitei after showing artistic promise. He studied under Kikuchi Yōsai, a historical painter, but was expelled for his free-spirited nature, later finding his stride as an independent artist. Seitei gained prominence after exhibiting at the 1878 Paris Exposition, where his work earned international acclaim, blending traditional Japanese techniques with Western realism. A key figure in the Meiji-era art scene, he produced delicate watercolours and woodblock prints, notably in Seitei Kachō Gafu (Seitei’s Album of Birds and Flowers).