Yoshitoshi's Thirty-two Aspects of Women - Yoshitoshi's finest series of bijin-ga or pictures of beautiful women, "Thirty-two Aspects of Women" features portraits of beauties in a lighthearted reference to the thirty-two notable features of Buddha. The women depicted come from all social classes, representing beauties from the late 18th century through Yoshitoshi's own time.

Each design captures a woman in a scene from daily life, realistically and sensitively portrayed as individuals rather than idealized figures. Elegant fabrics are beautifully rendered, and hairstyles and facial features are drawn with the most delicate of lines. The series was beautifully printed using deluxe techniques, such as soft bokashi shading, embossing, and burnishing, creating some of the finest prints of the Meiji era.

"Thirty-two Aspects" proved popular with the public when first published, and has been appreciated by viewers and collectors ever since. Designs in this fantastic series are some of the most highly sought after woodblocks of the Meiji era, and are certainly considered masterworks of Yoshitoshi's career.

First Edition Printing - This print comes from the first edition printing of this series, notable for the three color cartouche in the upper corner of each design. Later editions had only one or two colors. First edition prints, especially those in fine condition, are highly sought after by collectors.

Cute: the appearance of a housewife in the tenth year of Meiji, No. 26 - A charming and heartwarming Yoshitoshi print depicting a young mother cuddling her baby boy. The word "cute" refers both to the mother's feelings for her young baby, and also to the pair as an image. The young mother's face glows with an expression of her maternal love and pride, the baby playfully clutches at her face with tiny fingers. She wears a simple striped kimono, and her shaved eyebrows and blackened teeth indicate her married status. A wonderful print in the series and a great opportunity for the collector.

Artist - Yoshitoshi (1839 - 1892)

Image Size - 9 1/4" x 14 1/8"

Condition - With excellent color and detail. A few small wormholes repaired from reverse. Slight spotting or offsetting in subject. Please see photos for details. Nice overall.