Mizuno Toshikata, Love Letter Genroku Beauty, 36 Selected Beauties
Item No
#1080027092
Item
Ukiyo-e(People)
Artist
Mizuno Toshikata
Price
$150.00
Weight
0.01kg
size
width
23cm 9"
depth
35.5cm 14"
Shipping method
Express to United States
Express to Europe
$15.80
$18.60
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Mizuno Toshikata (1866-1908) was born as Mizuno Kumejiro in Kanda, Tokyo. When he was 13 years old, his father sent him to the nishiki-e printmaking school of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. He was also apprenticed to a ceramic painter. And later he was instructed in traditional Japanese painting by Shibata Hoshu and Watanabe Seitei.
He did a little bit of everything - war prints, illustrations and nevertheless he managed to continue a career as a serious painter and printmaker. In 1887 he was lucky and could get the job formerly held by Yoshitoshi as an illustrator at Yamato shinbun - a Tokyo newspaper. This gave him a stable income.
Mizuno published several series of bijin prints and genre scenes with women and children. Among his publishers were Sato Shotaro and Akiyama Buemon. His representative artworks are "Thirty-six Selected Beauties" and "Fountain Water (Iwa Shimizu zu)".
After 1900 Mizuno Toshikata was a well-recognized illustrator, painter and printmaker. He became teacher of Kaburagi Kiyokata, Arai Kanpo and Ikeda Terukata.
This series is based on the famous anthology of waka poems "Thirty six Master Poets" compiled by Fujiwara-no-Kintou. Master poets has been popular theme for artists. Toshikata depicted 36 beauties from different periods of time from ancient time to the Edo era and the viweres can see the customs and manners of different periods.
This artwork depicts a beauty from the Genroku era (late 17th C - early 18th C) receiving a love letter from a man who has a big mask on his face. This scene reminds viewers of one of the scene from "Yuugao" in the Tale of Genji #4 where one of the followers of Hikaru Genji hand a love letter from his master to the maid of Yuugao. This ukiyoe artwork may be created as "mitate-e" or parody pictures depicting analogues of Japanese and Chinese classical paintings or literature, historical facts or legendary events.
In the old times people used to use letters as means to contact someone who they were in love with and a letter used to be used as an object to imply love relationship in the paintings. In the bijinga prints, yuujyo courtesans holding such letters were often depictes.
Artist's signature and a seal applied on the right below
The title "Sanjyu-rokkasen Kensou-bumi Genroku-koro-fujin" is written in the cartouche in the upper left. Karazuri embossing is applied here.
Good impression and colors
Repair mark on the back
Slight Stains
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