<b>THREE GEISHA IN ONE</b> / Kobayashi Kiyochikac. 1878<b>SOLD</b></em>

Details

The Meiji-period artist, Kiyochika, was known to be highly inventive, a product of his time. By the Meiji period, woodblock print production was in decline. Newspapers and other printed media were turning to copperplate etching, photography, and lithography to reproduce images. Incorporating the newer technologies into print designs, Kiyochika utilized copperplates in conjunction with woodblocks to produce designs with Western-style realism in his fine art prints. In this work, we find Kiyochika fully exploiting woodblocks’ capacity to produce images that demonstrate strong photographic realism. The print depicts three Geishas: Kayo of Kyoto, Hitotsuru of Osaka, and Kokichi of Tokyo. Kiyochika expertly waves the faces of the three figures overlapping the eyes to combine all three into a single oval portrait, sharing a single fan and hair ornament. The haiku poem in the inset at right reads:

Oh, to see moon and snow together in the mountain of blossoms.

The poem links the snow, moon, and flower theme to the geishas themselves, and the motif is further explored within the design of the fan the women are holding.

Connoisseur's Note

Of Kiyochika’s body of work, this design is among his most innovative and striking images and consequently one of his most sought-after designs. The photographic likeness conveyed by the artist via woodblock printing is no less than astonishing. This design stands as a totem for the Meiji period, as it represents the crossroad of tradition and technical innovation. There are multiple impressions of this design. The lighter coloration in this work is indicative of an earlier impression versus later printings executed in a darker coloration to mask the wear of the woodblocks.