Woman in Gray Kimono
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- mfa
$1,000–$8,000. Beauty prints by this artist are particularly sought after. Good landscapes: $2,500–$5,000. Key value factors: As a pioneer of sosaku-hanga and influential art critic, Hakutei's prints carry historical significance. Early self-carved prints are most valued.
This bijin-ga (beautiful woman) print presents a female figure dressed in a gray kimono, a restrained color choice that sets this work apart from the vivid palette typical of traditional beauty prints. The muted tone of the garment suggests a woman of understated elegance rather than the flashy style associated with courtesans or geisha of the ukiyo-e tradition. Hakutei's rendering reflects his European art education, treating the figure with a naturalistic observation of posture, fabric drape, and proportion that departs from the elongated, idealized forms of classical bijin-ga. The gray kimono itself becomes a compositional element, its large, quiet surface providing a foil for whatever color accents appear in the obi or hair ornaments. The print bridges two traditions of depicting women, the Japanese and the Western, without fully committing to either.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Woman in Gray Kimono was created by Ishii Hakutei (石井柏亭).
Woman in Gray Kimono depicts bijin-ga.
