Woman with rouge brush
- Date:
- 1920
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Publisher:
- Watanabe Shozaburo
- Edition:
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 with a rouge brush — "benifude" — applying lipstick in one of Goyo's most frequent and celebrated compositional subjects from 1920. The minute act of applying rouge to the lips with a fine brush was among the most technically demanding of cosmetic applications, requiring steady hands, good vision, and a clear mental image of the desired result. Goyo renders the woman's concentration on this task with the same precision she herself applies to the brush: both artist and subject fully engaged with the challenge of achieving a perfect line.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Woman with rouge brush was created by Hashiguchi Goyo (橋口五葉) in 1920.
Woman with rouge brush was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (1920).
Woman with rouge brush depicts bijin-ga and calligraphy.
