Paul Binnie

Scottish, b. 1967

A Collection of Eastern Brocade Beauties: Veranda
(Azuma nishiki bijin awase: Engawa)

signed at the lower left in kanji, Bin-ni, followed by artist's red seal Binnie, the series title on the upper left margin, Azuma nishiki bijin awase, the print title on the lower left margin, Engawa, embossed Binnie at the center of the bottom margin, and numbered and signed in pencil, 52/100, Paul Binnie, ca. June 2009

dai oban tate-e 17 3/8 by 12 in., 44 by 30.5 cm

This is the fifth design in Binnie's ongoing Eastern Brocade Beauties series. The composition was used in 2005 for Utamaro's Erotica from the A Hundred Shades of Ink of Edo (Edo zumi hyaku shoku: Utamaro no shunga), which was preceded in the autumn of 2004 by a related version of the nude without a tattoo set against a burgundy ground. As this was an early foray for Binnie into the bijin genre, the nude was issued in a modest edition of only 30 impressions, which quickly sold out. In the intervening years, the market for Binnie's bijin works has grown quickly, allowing the artist to expand his editions to at least 100 impressions. Demand for his early bijin prints has recently inspired Binnie to revisit popular designs, providing the artist with an opportunity to explore other palettes and collectors with the opportunity to acquire examples of his strongest works- without (for the time being) having to compete on the secondary market. For this new edition of 100 impressions, Binnie chose a lush raspberry red for the background and added the design to the Eastern Brocade Beauties series.

price: $950