Clock and Beauty, No. IV, 1964

by Ito Shinsui (1898 - 1972)

Current Status

Clock and Beauty, No. IV, 1964 by Ito Shinsui (1898 - 1972)

Original Ito Shinsui (1898 - 1972) Japanese Woodblock Print
Clock and Beauty, No. IV, 1964

Ito Shinsui - Born in Tokyo, Ito Shinsui studied Japanese painting and began designing woodblock prints for the publisher Watanabe Shozaburo in 1916, with whom he collaborated until 1960. He is best known for his lovely shin-hanga images of beautiful women. These elegant and refined beauties are drawn with graceful line work and softly colored backgrounds. Recognized for his artistic achievements, the Japanese government declared Shinsui an "Intangible Cultural Property" in 1952, and he received the "Order of the Rising Sun" in 1970. His works are a wonderful choice to collect or display.

Comments - Terrific portrait of a beauty from a series commissioned by the Hotta Watchmaker and published by Watanabe Shozaburo. The four designs in the series depict beautiful women from different eras along with clocks from the period. Here, a modern beauty looks into a compact as she applies red lipstick. She wears a white blouse with a black ribbon bow at the neck, tucked into a full red skirt, Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail, and she wears an earring composed of multiple colored dots, along with a jaunty black beret. The background features futuristic geometric shapes with intersecting lines in a palette of pink, orange, warm yellows and tans, and gray. Even the shadows on her hands are angular like the background. The circular face of a clock is shot at upper left, marked with the Hotta brand. A terrific, lively design with wonderful color contrasts, detailed with gold mica on the lipstick case and compact. This design appears on page 83 of the recent book "The Female Image: 20th Century Prints of Japanese Beauties" by Amy R. Newland and Hamanaka Shinji. A great Shinsui subject and one of the favorites from the series.

Artist - Ito Shinsui (1898 - 1972)

Image Size - 13 3/8" x 10 1/4" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent detail as shown. Paper hinge mounts on reverse at top and bottom center edges. Toning, a couple small spots, a couple wrinkles at edges. Please see photos for details.

Clock and Beauty, No. IV, 1964 by Ito Shinsui (1898 - 1972)
Clock and Beauty, No. IV, 1964 by Ito Shinsui (1898 - 1972)