<b>NANBANESQUE BEHAVIOR</b> / Sumio Kawakami1955<b>SOLD</b></em>

Details

Sumio Kawakami’s interest in all things foreign started as a young child during the Meiji period. Kawakami recounts to Oliver Statler in his book Modern Japanese Prints, how the artist grew up in a time where East truly met West. A period when it was commonplace to see men clad in kimonos while sporting a derby or boiler hat and cane. It was also during this time when Japan imported all kinds of Western objects. Globes, telescopes, glasses, pipes, maps, books, prints, and a myriad of other things caught the imagination of the young Kawakami, so much so he dedicated his entire artistic career to portraying what he first saw in his youth.

In this iconic Sosaku Hanga image, we have a Japanese prostitute with a Dutch client smoking a Western pipe while reclining on a Western-style bed. The title, Nanbanesque Behavior, refers to nanban (foreign) elements highlighted in the print. The design is bold, expressive, and daring and quickly became a battle flag for the Sosaku Hanga movement. The print itself was done with one printing block—the black portion of the design. All elements of color were applied directly to the print by the artist’s hand. The colors and the manner they are applied differ from each impression.

Connoisseur's Note

This exceedingly rare impression is the first state of the design. Earlier impressions, such as this one, are executed on lighter yellow, greenish-yellow or a light beige color paper. Another distinguishing factor is the square seal at the bottom left of the print. First state impressions bear an intact square seal. Later versions have an entirely new seal, which lack the bottom left corner and other intricate nuances within the seal. An example of a later impression and corresponding seal are listed below. These later impressions can further be distinguished by their more evenly applied coloration as well as having much less hand-applied pigment altogether. Lastly, many later versions come with pencil signatures by the artist. I have yet to see a first state with a signature. These early impressions are not often seen in the marketplace, knowing how to distinguish one from the remainder of the flock is half the battle.