Goyo completed only 14 woodblock print designs before his death in 1921, making every genuine impression extraordinarily rare. His bijin-ga are among the most refined of the entire shin-hanga movement. "Woman at the Bath" achieved $40,075 at Bonhams New York in 2020; Sotheby's estimates of $15,000–$25,000 are typical for top examples.
A woman after her bath, her hair still damp, her body wrapped in a towel or loosely dressed in a yukata — a subject central to Goyo's exploration of feminine privacy and physical existence. The after-bath moment had been a favorite of bijin-ga artists since Utamaro, but Goyo's version strips away the earlier tradition's stylization in favor of something more direct and physically immediate: a real woman in a real moment of vulnerable, unselfconscious beauty. Posthumous editions preserved from his 1920 designs maintained his production standards.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
After Bath was created by Hashiguchi Goyo (橋口五葉) in 1920 (posthumous edition).
After Bath was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (1920 (posthumous edition)).
After Bath depicts figures, bijin-ga, and interiors.
