Woman of the Island, from the series "New Twelve Images of Modern Beauties"
by Ito Shinsui
- Date:
- 1922
- Medium:
- Color woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Dimensions:
- 42.5 × 26 cm
- Publisher:
- Watanabe Shozaburo
- Edition:
- Published by Watanabe Shozaburo
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
Typical Price
Shinsui's Taisho-era bijin-ga are his most coveted works. His early masterpieces like "Before the Mirror" (1916) fetch GBP 52,920 (~$67,000) at Sotheby's. The most iconic designs from the "Modern Beauties" series approach these heights with fresh, vivid original colors.
- Later Showa-era editions: $1,000–$3,000
- Taisho-era first editions, good condition: $3,000–$12,000
- Finest early impressions with fresh color: $12,000–$70,000
Description
From the "New Twelve Images of Modern Beauties" series (1922), this print depicts a woman who carries the visual markers of the outlying islands—perhaps Oshima or another island in Tokyo Bay or the Pacific—through her dress, posture, or the landscape behind her. The "island woman" type in Japanese culture carried associations of unmediated contact with the natural world, physical hardiness, and a different kind of feminine beauty from the cultivated bijin of the city. Shinsui's treatment filters these associations through his characteristically dignified and observant visual style.
More Prints by Ito Shinsui
More Landscapes Prints
Lake Kugushi in Wakasa Province (Wakasa Kugushiko), from the series Souvenirs of Travel I (Tabi miyage dai isshu)"
Wakasa Kugushiko
1920
Color woodblock print; oban
Autumn Maple Leaves at Takao, from the album Eight Views of Kyoto (Kyôto hakkei)
Woodblock print
The Beach at Kaiganji in Sanuki Province (Sanuki Kaiganji no hama), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)"
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
Tea Kettle, section of a sheet from the series "Mirror of Stone Rubbings of Views of the Provinces" (Kohon meihitsu ishizuri kagami)
n.d.
Woodblock print; ishizuri-e, section of harimaze sheet
Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Woman of the Island, from the series "New Twelve Images of Modern Beauties" was created by Ito Shinsui (伊東深水) in 1922.
Yes — Woman of the Island, from the series "New Twelve Images of Modern Beauties" is part of the New Twelve Images of Modern Beauties series by Ito Shinsui.
Woman of the Island, from the series "New Twelve Images of Modern Beauties" was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (1922).
Woman of the Island, from the series "New Twelve Images of Modern Beauties" depicts landscapes and bijin-ga.
Woman of the Island, from the series "New Twelve Images of Modern Beauties" measures 42.5 × 26 cm (Oban format).