Japanese Woodblock Print, 1953, 1st edition with red seal and numbered 71/150 in the bottom margin

SIZE IN INCHES: dai-oban, 11.25 x 18 inches

COMMENTS: Faint red seal in bottom margin denotes the first edition.

TATSUMI SHIMURA (1907-1980), is known for designing bijin-ga prints towards the end of the shin hanga movement. In 1921 he began studying design with Yamakawa Saiho, and by 1924 he became the apprentice of Yamakawa Shuho, who was a bijin-ga artist. In 1927 he exhibited paintings with Kyodokai, and with Seishikai in 1938. He became known for his paintings of beautiful women with long eyelashes and blurred pupils. He also worked as an illustrator for newspapers, magazines, especially for the Japanese magazine Women's World. Although he was regarded as a fine illustrator, Shimura shifted his interest to traditional Japanese painting in the late 1940s. He designed several woodblock prints of beauties published by Kato Junzo from 1948 to 1952. Later he collaborated with Japan Institute of Prints to create a series of Five Figures of Modern Beauties, which were published in 1953 as a limited edition of 200. They depict Japanese women in traditionally feminine poses and attire. After a solo exhibition on his 60th birthday, he devoted the remainder of his career entirely to Nihonga, Japanese style painting.

Fine, no flaws