Bijin

The process of Westernization of Japanese arts during the Meiji period (1868-1912) caused a deep crisis in ukiyo-e printmaking, so that in the early twentieth century we find a group of artists, such as Mizuno Toshikata (1866-1908) and Keishu Takeuchi (1861-1942), who constitute a bridge to Shin-hanga engraving (revitalization of Japanese engraving) and who updated genres such as bijin-ga, or scenes of beautiful women, through an idealization of the contemporary Japanese woman, with delicate features, subtle expressions and intimate atmospheres, even when the scenes take place in nature.This engraving, stylistically very close to the aforementioned Takeuchi, shows a young woman in springtime. The loose hair, the tiny hands and the discretion of the landscape achieve a nostalgic atmosphere, characteristic of Japanese engraving artists of this generation. The good state of conservation of the piece allows us to appreciate the extraordinary quality of the print and the rich chromatic nuances of the coloring of the print, especially in the red dress with white printed flowers.The format of the print, circular with a cutout that simulates the petals of a chrysanthemum (kiku) is very unusual in Japanese engraving and, perhaps responds to a rare format for export, or for adaptation to a small fan of the uchiwa or pai-pai type. Also, the print has a rough texture due to the use of crepe paper or chirimen. / Bibliography: Bibliography: ALMAZÁN TOMÁS, D.: “Bijin. End of the Meiji period (1868-1912). S. XX. Japan”, in LÓPEZ GUZMÁN, R.; RUIZ GUTIÉRREZ, A.; SORROCHE CUERVA, M.A. (Scientific Coord.): Oriente en Granada (Exhibition Catalogue). Granada, 2008, pp.: 72