Japanese Ukiyoe
Posted in Antiques on 07/10/2008 09:24 pm by admin
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 UTAMARO I Diptych Japanese Ukiyoe Woodblock Print US $450.00 |
 UKIYO E JAPANESE WOODBLOCK PRINT  US $450.00
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 Decorative Framed Artwork Long 6 Panel Japanese Ukiyo e Print Hishikawa Type US $400.00
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Utamaro and His Five Woodblock Masterpieces of Women
One of the dominating themes in the history of art anywhere in the world has always been female beauty. Parodoxically, few artists are primarily identified with this theme. A major exeption is the Japanese artist Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806) who dedicated is whole artistic life exploring this beauty. He specialized in the posture, the character, the softness of the skin and the grace of the woman and fully utilized the characteristic of the woodblock to obtain the essence of female nature. The following five bijin (beauty print) designs are among his most acclaimed masterpieces and are in no particular order.
Mountain Woman with Kintaro (c.1801)
Utamaro designed nearly fifty prints of the mountain woman Yamamba and her son Kintaro (a.k.a. Kintoki) in various settings and formats. This naga-oban (c. 20 3/4" x 9 1/2") design is Utamaro's most well-known print depicting this subject. In this scene the viewer can feel true motherly love from Yamamba as she's trying to calm the little boy with chestnuts while fondling him as he is holding on to her. The soft colour combination is beautifully contrasted with the strong colours used for Kintaro, emphasizing his health and strength.
Matron in Love (c.1793)
From Utamaro's five part series Kasen: ko no bu (Selected Love Poems) this okubi-e (bust portrait/ half length portrait) design is generally considered the best of this set of prints. The title in the English translation of this print is 'Love Which One Can Not Put Out in One's Mind' and is the portrayal of a mature woman resting her head on her hand. Her eyebrows are shaven, which indicates she's married, and her eyes are narrowed in a dreamily gaze looking into the distance. In this series Utamaro focuses on the facial expressions of these women using fine lines and soft delicate colors trying to expose their inner feelings.
Lipstick (c.1794)
An ordinary woman depicted in a half-kneeling position looking in a mirror which she holds in her hand. She's applying red lipstick to her mouth after she blackened her teeth. In this design Utamaro proofs his mastery in depicting women wearing everyday clothes placed in an ordinary setting. The subtle contrast between the red lipstick and the white of the skin is a magnificent detail. The black box in front of her contains implements for blackening the teeth.
Woman Reading a Letter (c.1791)
The following print is from Utamaro's famous 'Ten Physiognomical Studies of Women' -series and is a study of a noble looking middle-aged woman reading a letter, with her hands outstretched to unfold it. A masterpiece because of its simplicity and superb composition. Some prints of this design have a pink-mica background instead of silver-mica. The pink was made after the silver.
Takashima Ohisa (c.1792)
This print belongs to the same series as the foregiving one and is probably the most celebrated single bijin portrait in the history of Ukiyo-e. The model of this print is thought to be a daughter of Takashima Chobei who was a proprietor of a tea-house in Ryogoku Yagenbori. The viewer can feel the sweetness of this girl who is a daughter of a well-to-do family. It seems that Utamaro often painted Takashima Ohisa (like many other contemporaries) by preference. He also painted Ohisa in the series 'Six Famous Beautiful Women', even after her marriage and as the proverb says: "Beauty is often inconsistent with luck", this pretty Ohisa died young leaving two sons behind.
About the Author
Here you can find more info on Utamaro and articles on Japanese woodblock prints (Hokusai and Kuniyoshi) and illustrations.
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UTAMARO I Diptych Japanese Ukiyoe Woodblock Print US $450.00 |
UKIYO E JAPANESE WOODBLOCK PRINT US $450.00
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 1883 Chromotypograph Japanese Ukiyoe Family Visitors New Year Landscape Gillot US $420.00
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 Japanese WOODBLOCK By UKIYOE Artist HIROSHIGE UTAGAWA US $365.00 |
 RARE 1822 HOKUSHU Ukiyo e Japanese Woodblock Print US $350.00 |
 Japanese Woodblock Print Ukiyo e 080 Utagawa Yoshitora Oiran US $349.99
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 Japanese Ukiyo e Woodblock Print 101 Kikukawa Eizan US $349.99
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 Japanese Ukiyo e Woodblock Print 149 Utagawa Toyokuni US $349.99
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 Japanese Ukiyo e Woodblock Print 171 Utagawa Kuniyoshi US $329.99
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 Japanese Ukiyo e Woodblock Print 164 Yoshu Chikanobu US $239.99
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 ORIGINAL MASANOBU JAPANESE WOODBLOCK PRINT UKIYO E C1770 US $225.00
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 Japanese Ukiyo e Woodblock Print 136 Utagawa Toyokuni US $219.99
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