Posted by Darrel on April 25, 1997 at 02:51:22:
In Reply to: Re: Toyokuni II posted by yasuko on April 23, 1997 at 20:34:30:
: In a book titled Hiroshige In Tokyo by Julian Bicknell published by Pomegranate Artbooks,
: Pge 48, bottom half, shows a print of a Japanese woman with
: distant scenery in the back, the explanation of the picture says,
: "Keisai Eisen, Beauties of the Tokaido. An image
: from a series that combined landscape.....", but the
: picture clearly shows Toyokuni-ga author seal on it.
: What should I make of it?
While my knowledge of both Eisen and Toyokuni III is limited and I find it difficult to believe the Bicknell book could contain such a mistake, I believe you are correct that the print on page 48 in the Bicknell book is indeed by Toyokuni III/Kunisada. It certainly appears to contain the traditional Toyokuni silkworm cartouche. A very similar print by Eisen showing a woman in the same position washing her neck at the Oiso Station of the Tokaido is illustrated as plate 79 on page 88 of Suzuki Oka's book "The Decadents." A comparison of the two prints certainly shows that the seals and cartouches are markedly different. I surmise that the Toyokuni's print of the same station was mistakenly substituted in the book for the Eisen print.