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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 beauties and other people from the Kyouho era (late 18th C) enjoying spring mountain view. Cherry trees in the back seem to have begun to bloom their blossoms. "Yusan" in Japanese means to enjoy field and mountain walk. In the Edo era, travelling beame a boom among people and yusan or mountain walk became a very popular leisure for orninary people. Inside the palaquine in which a noble beauty is sitting, there are some luggages wrapped by furoshiki cloth and lacqured boxes. This party may be looking for a place to have a rest.
Artist's signature and a seal applied on the left below
The title "Sanjyu-rokkasen Yusan Kyouho-koro-fujin" is written in the cartouche in the upper right. Karazuri embossing is applied here.
Good impression and colors
Slight Stains
Fold line to the left end
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