| Notes (this edition)?: |
| The following information was taken from the original web listing of this artwork. Note that there may be some inaccuracies:
Thanks to Stockholms Auktionsverk for this database entry (June 2026):
https://auctionet.com/sv/events/1009-the-asian-fine-art-sale/2021-hashiguchi-goyo-1880-1921-woman-applying-makeup-kesho-no-onna
Hashiguchi Goyo (1880-1921). 'Woman Applying Makeup' (Kesho no Onna, 化粧の女).
Signed Goyo ga, carved by Takano Shichinosuke, printed by Somekawa Kanzo, self-published April 1918 (Taisho 7). Japanese woodblock print, embellished with mica ground, metallic pigment and embossing, c. 55.4 x 39 cm.
A woman powders her bare shoulder while gazing into a hand mirror, her loose robe and elegant pose enhanced by the shimmering mica background, a hallmark of fine Japanese printmaking. Details such as the embossed gold on the mirror and ring, delicate blindprinting, and finely carved hairlines showcase the extraordinary craftsmanship of the print. Her ring, a Western accessory, subtly reflects the modernity of the era.
This is the most celebrated portrait personally published by Hashiguchi Goyo. Much of Goyo’s limited output was reportedly destroyed in the 1923 earthquake, making surviving works exceptionally rare. Though inspired by eighteenth-century Japanese bijin-ga, his refined use of line, pattern, and volume also reveals a strong influence from European drawing and painting techniques. His female subjects were typically geishas or attendants from restaurants and tea houses, and hence professional beauties.
Widely regarded as a masterpiece of shin-hanga bijin-ga, this print is especially prized when bearing the original carver and printer seals, confirming it as a lifetime edition. Examples can be found in several international museum collections. Compare a print from the same edition in the British Museum in London, acc. no 1981,0410,0.4, and a print, seemingly from the same edition, in the Honolulu Museum of Art in Honolulu, acc. no 20716. |
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| Artist Bio: |
A Note on the 1970's/80's restrikes:
Tanseisha edition:
One of the 12-print sets, titled "Hashiguchi Goyo 60-Year Memorial) was published in an edition size of only 150 and is dated 1981, December 1st. I assume this to be the first edition by Tanseisha. It is obvious that Tanseisha subsequently published other sets after this date, using different printers. One of these later editions included an extra print, so a 13-print edition.
Yuyudo editions:
A 6-print set of bijin-ga in blue canvas tatou album with edition size of 750.
A 12-print edition, size unconfirmed.
A 2-print set of large-size scenes "Hand Mirror" and "Yabakei" with edition size of around 500.
Iwasaki Shoten:
Published "Woman Combing Her Hair" in an edition size of 180 in 1988, October 20 (see database entry 46012).
Watanabe Shoichiro: Watanabe has recently (2017 or earlier) started publishing some of the Goyo scenes.
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