Re: Potential Answer to Toyokuni III/Eisen Question

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: : : : 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. : : I am sorry I meant Darrel, I have no idea where I got Warren.

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