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Utagawa KUNISADA (1786 - 1865)

Man watches an umbrella flying by - Ink drawing in the style of the Hanabusa school -

Brush drawing in sumi (black ink) on paper. Paper size:            c. 33 x 24 cms / c. 13" x 9 3/4" Condition:             very good ref. no.: # S-0174 Price:  € 5,900.00

With just a few brush strokes Kunisada succeeded in giving us a character portrait of a seated man on a windy day. While gently leaning backwards, he looks up in surprise and watches an umbrella flying in the wind. The drawing is executed in the genre style of the Hanabusa Itchô school, - a style one usually does not associate with Kunisada. However, Kunisada in the early 1830s, had studied the paintings of the famous painter, Hanabusa Itchô (1652-1724), who in the late 16th century had created his own style, halfway between kano and ukiyo-e. This excellent brush drawing was part of an album containing preparatory and other drawings by the artist, possibly assembled by Kunisada's pupils for study reasons.

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