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Early summer fine weather — 五月晴
by Torii Kotondo (1900-1976)

Original caretaker of this artwork: artelino - Japanese prints  Art auctions of Japanese and Chinese prints

	Artist:	Torii Kotondo (1900-1976) — 鳥居言人
	Title:	Early summer fine weather — 五月晴
	Series:
	Date of first edition?:	1936
	Publisher (first edition)?:	Ukiyo-e Sekai — 浮世絵世界
	Publisher (this edition)?:	Ukiyo-e Sekai — 浮世絵世界
	Medium (first edition):	Woodblock
	Medium (this edition):	Woodblock
	Format (first edition):	Kuchi-e
	Format (this edition):	Kuchi-e
	DB artwork code:	43410
	Notes (first edition)?:	Width Item 5.0 inches = 12.7 cm Height Item 7.3 inches = 18.5 cm Width Mat 5.3 inches = 13.4 cm Height Mat 7.6 inches = 19.2 cm Published by Ukiyo-e Sekai.
	Notes (this edition)?:	The following information was taken from the original web listing of this artwork. Note that there may be some inaccuracies: Artist: Kotondo Torii 1900-1976 Title: Satsukibare Date: 1936 Medium: Woodblock print Notes: "Satsuki-bare" (Clear Day in May)
	Artist Bio:	Torii Kotondo (or Torii Kiyotada VIII) is renowned for his paintings and shin hanga prints of beautiful women. His woodblock prints, superbly carved and printed, are comparable with those of Hashiguchi Goyo and Ito Shinsui. Kotondo was born with the name Saito Akira in the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo. He was the only son among the five children of Torii Kiyotada, the seventh Torii master. The Torii school had a long tradition of painting and printmaking for the Japanese theater, extending back to the seventeenth century. Kabuki theater was still very popular in the early twentieth century and prints and painted posters were the primary means of publicity. Although Kotondo was mainly interested in studying history and archaeology, it was assumed that he would follow in his father's footsteps and join the Torii school. At age 14, Kotondo agreed to leave school and begin studies with Kobori Tomone, a yamato-e painter. Along with painting classes, Tomone taught Kotondo about the court and military practices of ancient Japan, satisfying his interest in history. A year later, he was officially adopted as the next heir of the Torii school and assumed the artist's name 'Kotondo'. While still studying with Tomone, he began designing illustrations for a theatrical magazine, Engei Gaho ('Entertainment Illustrated Magazine'), and painted kabuki posters and billboards. Torii Kotondo was the 8th Torii and the 5th Torii Kiyotada. His father was the 4th Kiyotada.