Takehisa Yumeji - Takehisa Yumeji was a leading artist and illustrator in Japan during the Taisho era. His romantic portraits of contemporary young women were extremely popular, and he designed many woodblock prints for newspapers, women's magazines, and book covers. His slender, languid women are drawn with expressive line work, and sometimes have a naive, almost childlike quality. Yumeji's work found an enthusiastic following in Japan, and today, there is a museum devoted to him in Okayama, his birthplace. While there was little foreign interest in his work prior to his death in 1934, in subsequent decades Yumeji's prints have become very popular and highly sought after by collectors. 

Comments - Intriguing Yumeji image called Maria Kannon, the name used for the Virgin Mary in the guise of the Japanese Goddess Kannon. In the foreground, a European explorer or priest wearing a white ruff collar and cuffs dangles a cross from a chain, with sailing ships in the background above, while a modern beauty holds her fingertips to her chin with a thoughtful expression. The artist designed this woodblock for the November 1924 issue of a women's monthly magazine Fujin Gurafu. A rare original Yumeji print combining fascinating Western and Japanese imagery.

Artist - Takehisa Yumeji (1884 - 1934)

Image Size - 10 1/2" x 4 1/2" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. Light toning, a few small spots. Please see photos for details. Good overall.