This preparatory drawing for Eizo and Matsuomaru offers collectors a window into Sekino's creative process before the woodblock was carved. Working drawings by sosaku-hanga artists are uncommon on the market. Prices generally fall between $200-$600, with the documentary interest compensating for the smaller scale.
This 1947 watercolor study explores the kabuki theme of Eizō and Matsuomaru — a dramatic scene from the play "Sugawara and the Secrets of Calligraphy" in which a feudal retainer sacrifices his own son to save the heir of a wrongfully exiled nobleman. The watercolor medium gives the preparatory work a luminous, provisional quality that contrasts with the sharp-edged finality of Sekino's printed versions of the same subject.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Drawing for Eizo and Matsuomaru was created by Jun'ichiro Sekino (関野準一郎) in 1947.
Drawing for Eizo and Matsuomaru uses Nishiki-e, Moku-hanga, and Kento, on watercolor on paper.
Drawing for Eizo and Matsuomaru depicts figures and kabuki.
Drawing for Eizo and Matsuomaru measures 69 × 56.2 cm.
