<b>BATHING </b> / Hashiguchi Goyo1915<b>SOLD</b></em>

Details

Hashiguchi Goyo was enamored by Ukiyo-e and by the bijin-ga of Utamaro. Goyo saw Utamaro as the artistic height of Ukiyo-e, exemplifying the depiction of femineity through his graceful and sophisticated figures. Goyo also studied the intricate printing effects in Utamaro designs and sought to replicate their delicate and sensual qualities.

Goyo was among the first artists recruited by the founder of Shin Hanga, Shozaburo Watanabe, in 1915. In fact, this design, Bathing, 1915, was the design Goyo produced for Watanabe. Goyo’s collaboration with Watanabe was short-lived, as Goyo was unhappy with the results—the design appeared far too flat for the artist. Consequently, Goyo went out on his own and established his printmaking studio that produced over one dozen designs before the artist’s early death of meningitis at the age of 41.

This striking work showcases a female bather. The design is contemplative, and Watanabe’s expert artisans certainly produced a high-quality print with stunning use of bokashi and barren work throughout the print’s background. The circular marks left by the barren effectively suggest the steam from the bathhouse.

If we compare this work to others Goyo self-produced, three designs: Woman Holding Lipstick, Beauty in a Long Undergarment, and Woman in Summer Garment, all offered in this exhibition, we can see the difference in Goyo’s aesthetic and the Watanabe published figure does present itself as noticeably flatter. Regardless of Goyo’s approval, this stunning design has become an icon of 20th-century Japanese printmaking and one of the most sought-after Shin Hanga prints.

Connoisseur's Note

This design was the sole collaboration between Goyo and the founder of Shin Hanga, the publisher Watanabe. This work was originally produced in an edition of 100 impressions. After the artist voiced his disapproval for the outcome of the design, he was given 50 impressions, which were subsequently destroyed by the hand of the artist. Of the 50 impressions remaining, only prints sold before the earthquake of 1923 and removed from Tokyo survived, as most of the city was destroyed by the ensuing fires. The work is stamped in with a limited edition seal and hand numeration of 12 on the reverse.