Born in 1851 in Edo, Yoshikawa Yoshimata, better known as Watanabe Seitei, was a nihonga painter and woodblock print artist who specialized in bird and flower prints. Watanabe first studied under Kikuchi Yōsai and later Shibata Zeshin, one of the most prestigious artists of the Meiji era.  His first breakthrough came in 1875 when one of his flower prints for the Industry and Commerce Company won a flower-crest award. With newfound success and Zenshin's selection to international exhibitions in Vienna, Watanabe accompanied his master, thereby becoming the first nihonga painter to study in Europe. 

From 1875 to 1878, he toured throughout Europe and the United States before returning to Japan. Watanabe passed away in 1918. In addition to his birds and flower motifs, Watanabe produced textile designs, cloisonné, and printed books, most notably Kachō Gafu (1890). He was also a founder and editor of the magazine Bijutsu Sekai and served as a major influence for artists Mizuno Toshikata and Kaburagi Kiyokata.