In Makeup

A bijin-ga subject depicting a figure engaged in the ritual of applying cosmetics. The theme of women at the toilette has a long history in Japanese print, running from the close-up okubi-e portraits of Utamaro through twentieth-century shin-hanga interpretations. Compositions of this kind typically isolate the figure against a plain or lightly toned ground, drawing attention to the contrast between the white-painted face (oshiroi), the curve of the nape, and the implements of the dressing table—mirror, brush, lacquer box. Technically, such a print relies on a precise keyblock for the face and accurate kento registration across multiple color blocks, with bokashi gradation often used to soften skin tones or background. Shusui's broader output is associated with landscape and nature subjects, and a figural piece of this kind sits outside the better-documented portion of the artist's catalogue, suggesting either a less common direction within Shusui's practice or a print whose attribution may warrant additional archival cross-checking.