Mattia Jona, Master Drawings and Prints, Japanese Prints - Piazzetta Guastalla 5, 20122 Milan, Italy, tel (+39) 02 8053315

ICHIYUSAI KUNIYOSHI (1797 - 1861) STANDING BEAUTY (Listening to an announcement)
Woodcut, ca. 1845, from the series 'Modern Day Chrysanthemums'. The series compares beautiful woman and their thoughts to varieties of the flower and was issued by different publishers. This print published by Enshuya Matabei. Signed 'Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga' and red kirimon seal. Unidentified collectors seal lower left. Very good impression and colour; lightly and evenly toned, otherwise in very good condition. 'Oban', 375 x 255 mm.

The son of a silk-dyer, at the age of fourteen Kuniyoshi joined the Utagawa school, then headed by Toyokuni I. Kuniyoshi achieved his commercial and artistic breakthrough in 1827 with the first designs of the series 'the 108 heroes of the Suikoden'. This series, based on an old Chinese novel from the 14th century, was about rebels and bandits. The artist designed many other successful prints of warriors and heroes and was even nicknamed 'Warrior print' Kuniyoshi, but in fact he contributed to every branch of 'Ukiyo-e': theatrical prints, legendary and historical subjects, women, landscapes, comics, 'surimono', fan-prints and book-illustrations.