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| Artist: | Shimura Tatsumi (1907-1980) — 志村立美 |
| Title: | Garden Corner (Akashi Cho) — 明石町 |
| Series: | |
| Date of first edition?: | 1970 (in the decade of) |
| Publisher (first edition)?: | Yuyudo — 悠々洞出 |
| Publisher (this edition)?: | Yuyudo — 悠々洞出 |
| Medium (first edition): | Woodblock |
| Medium (this edition): | Woodblock |
| Format (first edition): | Double Oban
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| Format (this edition): | Double Oban |
| DB artwork code: | 38502 |
| Notes (first edition)?: |
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| Notes (this edition)?: |
| The following information was taken from the original web listing of this artwork. Note that there may be some inaccuracies:
Saturday, 9 December 2006
"Akashi cho" (Garden Corner ) This is an extremely rare woodblock by Tatsumi Shimura (1907-1980). Limited Edition, print 227 of 450. Tatsumi said about this print, "I feel Akashicho (a very old section of Tokyo) of an admiration and admired depth of the image taste since founder of a religious sect Kiyokata* died. There were many kept girls by man in Tsukiji of the Meiji era. The woman who appeared to see off man who returned early in the morning of early fall. The empty sadness that does not know when he next comes. She put a kimono ( called Awase) on chest (heart) on the bare skin unintentionally in unlined clothes, the morning when it is cold. Few flowers of reluctance of leaving look like just a woman standing still."
Rarely seen in Japan and nearly impossible to find outside of Japan as Tatsumi prints are extremely rare, highly cherished in Japan and seldom sold. This print is seldom seen outside of Japan. Tatsumi specialized in bijin ga - prints of beautiful women. He is most famous for his series "Five Figures of Modern Beauties" (Gendai Bijin Fuzoku Gotai). Tatsumi’s prints are held by the world’s most famous museums.
This limited edition print is numbered 227 of 450. Carver; Kentaro Maeda (very famous carver in Japan), Printer; Ritsuzo Sato, and Publisher; Yuyudo. Red seal says " Tatsumi Ken In" . Size is very large: paper size is 19 and 1/2 inches by 16 and 1/2 inches. Colors are vivid, vibrant and in layers which makes them appear soft. The lines are crisp. Absolutely stunning original hand made Japanese woodblock print. Nearly perfect condition. Deep in the bottom margin has very faint paper blemish, hardly noticeable. Never framed. Additional pictures gladly provided upon request. Comes with original presentation folder which carries the title as " Akashicho". |
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| Artist Bio: |
Tatsumi Shimura is known for designing several striking bijin-ga prints towards the end of the Shin Hanga movement. Born in Takasaki, Gunma, Shimura's real name was Sentaro. In 1921, he began studying art with Yamakawa Saiho, a well-known illustrator. Three years later, he became an apprentice of Saiho's son, Yamakawa Shuho, who was also a bijin-ga artist. Shimura exhibited paintings with Kyodotai in 1927 and with Seikinkai in 1938. He became known for his paintings of beautiful women with long eyelashes and blurred pupils. As a young man, Tatsumi also worked as an illustrator for newspapers, serialized novels, and magazines, notably for the Japanese magazine "Woman's world" (Fujokai). His most famous illustrations were for the novel Tange Sazen by Hayashi Fubo. From 1948 to 1952, Shimura designed several woodblock prints of beauties that were published by Kato Junji. Later he collaborated with the Japanese Institute of Prints (Nihon Hanga Kenkyusho) to create a series called "Five figures of modern beauties" (Gendai bijin fuzoku gotai). These prints were first published in 1953 in an edition size of 200 and contain a thin red rectangular Gihachiro supervisor seal (Okuyama Gihachiro was the founder of the publisher). The series was later reprinted using recarved blocks in the 1960s/70s/80s in other edition sizes of 100, 200, and 300, plus an open (unlimited) edition (see here for further details). They depict Japanese women in traditionally feminine poses and attire. The finely detailed figures are juxtaposed against very simple backgrounds. Tatsumi later published various other gorgeous bijin-ga in double-oban size via the publisher Momose in the 1980s.
志村立美（しむら たつみ、1907年2月17日 - 1980年5月4日）は、日本画家、挿絵画家・ 美人画家である。群馬県高崎市生まれ。本名 仙太郎。群馬県高崎市生まれ。 神奈川県立神奈川工業高等学校図案科を中退して、1924年（大正13年）山川秀峰に入門美人画を修める。 当時、山川秀峰は鏑木清方と伊藤深 水と共に、挿絵での活動もしていた。 山川秀峰の推薦を受け、立美も挿絵での活動を行うようになる。肉筆画も鏑木清方主宰の郷土会、師である山川秀峰、伊東深水らの主宰する青衿会等へ出品をする。 その後主婦の友・婦女 界などの雑誌口絵などでその名を知られるようになり、林不忘原作の丹下左膳の挿絵などで岩田専太郎と並ぶ人気画家となる。晩年、挿絵での活動を休止し、本来の立美の原点である日本画、美人画への回帰をしていく。 出版美術家連 盟会長などをつとめ、1976年（昭和51年）作品集『美人百態』で日本作家クラブ賞を受賞する。「現代女性十二態 花吹雪」 木版 東京国立近代美術館所蔵 |
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