Bijin in Snow - 雪中美人

Medium:: Woodblock print
Format:: Oban
Publisher:: Watanabe Shozaburo
Edition:: Published by Watanabe Shozaburo

Source:

Typical Price

Shinsui is Japan's preeminent shin-hanga bijin-ga master. His "Modern Beauties" and related series remain in strong demand, with provenance from notable collections (Freddie Mercury's collection appeared at Sotheby's 2023) adding premium value.

Later Showa editions with adequate color: $800–$2,000
Showa-period lifetime editions: $2,000–$8,000
Exceptional impressions, iconic designs: $8,000–$25,000

Description

A woman stands in falling snow, her dark kimono and bundled figure contrasting with the white accumulation around her in this undated [bijin-ga](/glossary/bijin-ga). The snow scene—one of Shinsui's most beloved seasonal subjects—allowed him to explore the interplay between cold exterior setting and the warmth implied by a woman's presence, a tension central to much of his beauty print work. The Japanese title 雪中美人 ("snow bijin") directly invokes the classical idiom while Shinsui's rendering pushes it into a more modern, psychologically present register.