Details

Shuho was an accomplished nihonga-style painter active in the Taisho and Showa eras. His primary focus was on bijin-ga, or portraits of beautiful women. Beyond the large body of work executed in painting, the artist produced a handful of woodblock print designs. This work, Tokyo Train Station at Present, is among his most striking print compositions. This design features a three-quarters-length portrait of a woman dressed in a stylish kimono while holding a purse. The background features the distinctive Western-style brick façade of the German-designed train station. An automobile can be seen in the distance, at the far lower right, while an airplane soars overhead.   

Connoisseur's Note

This work is Shuho’s largest woodblock print. This design was produced in collaboration with the publisher Watanabe, who commissioned Shuho and Shinsui to each produce a design that featured beauties situated in front of train stations. Shinsui’s work focused on Shinbashi Station as it would have appeared during the Meiji period, while Shuho’s design showcased a contemporary woman of the early 1940s.