Kotondo is best known for bijin-ga, but his complete oeuvre includes actor prints and other figure subjects. His small corpus of only 21 designs ensures that all authenticated period impressions carry collector interest and scarcity premiums.
From the "12 Aspects of Women" series, this print focuses on the intimate act of applying lipstick — one of the cosmetic rituals Kotondo returned to repeatedly throughout his bijin-ga work. The original 1932 composition, reproduced posthumously in the 1980s, shows a woman in the act of applying the red lip rouge called beni, her focus complete, her gaze internal. The act of cosmetic preparation was, for Kotondo, a vehicle for exploring feminine absorption and the private self.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
No. 6 - Lipstick - 口紅 was created by Torii Kotondo (鳥居言人) in 1932 1980s).
No. 6 - Lipstick - 口紅 was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (1932 1980s)).
No. 6 - Lipstick - 口紅 depicts figures, bijin-ga, and portraits.
