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.

Drowsy: the appearance of a harlot of the Meiji era, No. 30 - An intriguing print depicting a licensed prostitute reclining in an alluring and somewhat lazy fashion. She looks drowsily through half-closed eyes, resting on a pillow on a black lacquer base. She wears a red tie-dyed robe with a purple collar, loosely wrapped about her, and the red of the robe and the mattress convey a certain a feeling of sensuality. A very famous image from the series and one sought-after by collectors. This evocative print of a young prostitute is a classic and compelling Yoshitoshi portrait. Beautifully printed with delicate cloth embossing in the white screen at right, exceptionally fine line work in the hair, and extensive burnishing.

Artist - Yoshitoshi (1839 - 1892)

Image Size - 14 1/4" x 9 1/2" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. A couple small holes, repaired. Light diagonal creases at bottom corners, slight soiling, faint stain at lower right. Please see photos for details. Good overall.