Details

Hashiguchi Goyo was enamored by Ukiyo-e and by the bijin-ga of Utamaro. Goyo saw Utamaro as the artistic height of Ukiyo-e, exemplifying the depiction of femineity through his graceful and sophisticated figures. Goyo also studied the intricate printing effects in Utamaro designs and sought to replicate their delicate and sensual qualities.

This charming design features a woman fastening the obi, or belt, around her kimono. The print is oriented in a long vertical format, echoing the “pillar” style designs of the Edo period. The design’s verticality is further bolstered by the long obi held in the figure’s mouth as it extends down the woman’s body and the graceful representation of her flowing robes that drape to the floor. The background has been rendered in a beautiful and delicate application of silver mica that is printed to the edge of the figure’s contours, amplifying the colors of the design, which extend the figure forward toward the viewer. The application of mica has been expertly applied with a soft and thin layer that invokes Utamaro’s iconic portraits with silver backgrounds.

Connoisseur's Note

This work is an early printing executed under the strict supervision of the artist. Later impressions done with the original blocks circa 1950s by the Goyo Institute have slight variations in color and a thicker application of mica. Often these posthumous impressions are offered as early originals without much contention by the untrained eye.