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CHIKANOBU, Toyohara (1838 - 1912)		Comparison of Famous Sites and Beautiful Women - Suzumegaura in Musashi province -
		Signed:                  Yoshu Chikanobu with red toshidama seal Publisher:             Matsuki Heikichi Date:                      June 1897/98 Size:                       oban yoko-e diptych (c.  35 x 48 cms / 14" x 19") Condition: Fine impression and colors; very good overall condition. - The two panels of the diptych are glued together in the center and retain their original album backing (in the Meiji period it was common to publish print series in albums). ref. no.: # 611953 Price: € 550.00

A woman shading her eyes looks over to the rugged cliffs at Suzumegaura where someone walks past several caves. A boat of tourists glides by. Comparison of Famous Sites and Beautiful Women ('Meisho bijin awase') is a series of at least eleven diptych prints, published by Matsuki Heikichi in 1897-98. "In this series, Chikanobu created a dramatic juxtaposition of mulitcolored close-up figural images with distant landscape scenes printed in blue and peach-colored inks. The detailed depiction of women continues with the nishiki-e tradition that the artist has followed for decades, but the use of the 'blue color printing' (aizuri) is unusal for him and deliberately recalls the 1820 -1830s' landscape and figural prints of Hiroshige and Hokusai, especially his depictions of Mt. Fuji." (op.cit.) Reference: Bruce A. Coates, "CHIKANOBU - Modernity and Nostalgia in Japanese Prints", Claremont, Ca ./ Leiden, NL, 2006; p. 194-95; no. 226, ill. in color.

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