Ito Shinsui

1898-1972

Green Garden
(Ryokutei)

signed in sumi ink, Shinsui, with artist's seal Shinsui, publisher's mark Watanabe and dated on lower right, Showa sanjuichi nen hachigatsu (Showa 31 [1956], August)

obaiban tate-e 19 3/8 by 14 3/4 in., 49.2 by 37.5 cm

The design of this print is based on a painting of nearly the same subject dated to 1955. Although the majority of the prints produced by Watanabe are faithful adaptions of Shinsui's designs and palettes, in this case the publisher made significant changes to suit the woodblock print format. The composition itself is a mirror image of the painting, with a different (although equally graphic) black and white pattern on the kimono and a different color and design on the obi. The painting appears to have a traditional gold background, which could have been replicated with printed gold-colored mica, however, mica-ground printing (an expensive embellishment) was not favored by the Watanabe studio. Instead, the background of the print has been considerably enlivened by a geometric green background suggesting a garden and providing the setting for the title.

References:
Hamada Taiji and Hosono Masanobu, Ito Shinsui zenshu, 1981-1982, volume 3, color plate 60 an page 98 (painting)
Tadasu Watanabe, Ito Shinsui: All The Woodblock Prints, 1992, p. 197, no. 132
Amy Reigle Newland, and Hamanaka Shinji, The Female Image: 20th Century Prints of Japanese Beauties, 2000, p. 81, no. 94

(inv. no. 10-0725)

price: Sold