<b>A WOMAN PENCILLING HER EYEBROWS</b> / Ito Shinsui1928<b>SOLD</b></em>
ARTIST: Ito Shinsui ( 1898-1972 )
TITLE: A Woman Penciling Her Eyebrows
MEDIUM: Woodblock
DATE: 1928
EDITION: 192/200
DIMENSIONS: 10 1/2 X 14 7/8 inches
CONDITION: No condition problems to note
LITERATURE: Tadasu Watanabe, Ito Shinsui: All the Woodblock Prints, 1992, pl. 46
ARTIST: Ito Shinsui ( 1898-1972 )
TITLE: A Woman Penciling Her Eyebrows
MEDIUM: Woodblock
DATE: 1928
EDITION: 192/200
DIMENSIONS: 10 1/2 X 14 7/8 inches
CONDITION: No condition problems to note
LITERATURE: Tadasu Watanabe, Ito Shinsui: All the Woodblock Prints, 1992, pl. 46
ARTIST: Ito Shinsui ( 1898-1972 )
TITLE: A Woman Penciling Her Eyebrows
MEDIUM: Woodblock
DATE: 1928
EDITION: 192/200
DIMENSIONS: 10 1/2 X 14 7/8 inches
CONDITION: No condition problems to note
LITERATURE: Tadasu Watanabe, Ito Shinsui: All the Woodblock Prints, 1992, pl. 46
Details
There are a handful of instantly recognizable iconic works from the Shin Hanga movement. It's no coincidence a sizable portion of them are by Ito Shinsui. This design, Woman Pencilling Her Eyebrow, is certainly one of them. Printed with a deep red that took more than a dozen impressions to capture, the work is surprisingly three-dimensional with the background opening up to a space as mysterious as the ocean's depth. Caught in an intimate moment, the viewer is given a glimpse of a morning routine that celebrates femininity. The light that seems to emanate from the woman brings to mind the breaking dawn and the depth of the red, the receding night.
Connoisseur's Note
This design was so beloved by the publisher, Shozaburo Watanabe, that he had a sign made for his shop utilizing this design. The design quickly became an icon for Shinsui and for Watanabe's shop. It is exceedingly rare to find early Shinsui prints in this condition, with no toning or fading to the print's colors.
