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.

Waking up: the appearance of a girl of the Koka era, No. 15 - A sleepy young woman is shown, having recently woken up, she is brushing her teeth with a split bamboo toothbrush. Her cotton robe is draped loosely over her shoulders, the right shoulder having fallen away to reveal her breast. In this moment of disarray one is hard-pressed to picture her as an elegant geisha, however by evening, she will be ready for entertaining. A colorful morning glory in the pot at right suggests the summer season. A charming print with delicate embossing on the blue and white towel.

Artist - Yoshitoshi (1839 - 1892)

Image Size - 14" x 9 1/4" + margins

Condition - With excellent color and detail. Faint spotting in subject with light fraying along edges and corners. Backed with thin paper. Please see photos for details. Nice overall.