Posted by yasuko on May 03, 1997 at 11:24:14:
In Reply to: Re: Potential Answer to Toyokuni III/Eisen Question posted by Darrel on April 25, 1997 at 02:51:22:
: : 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.
I just happened to go to the local Borders bookstore a couple days ago,
and I just happened to find the Oiso station print Warren pointed out.
The book is Ukiyoe - An Introduction to Japanese Woodblock prints by Tadashi Kobayashi.
Pg 48-49. I was very happy to be able to compare the 2 (Oiso by Eisen, and the other
from the Bicknell, evidently by Toyokuni III). The both
women are posed exactly the same, I guess Toyokuni must have
copied the picture. The Toyokuni one seems to have Ox-2 date seal,
so if I get the ox part correctly, Toyokuni's print may be from 1841?
This is all very interesting.