Yoshitoshi - Study for Woodcut #12

Yoshitoshi

Translucent Gampi (Washi/Rice/Mulberry) paper affixed at the corners to a semi-opaque, handmade, laid paper. Composed with black and cinnebar inks.

Provenance: Wittenborn Art Books, New York City. Comment(s): Drawings by Yoshitoshi are very scarce. This drawing came from a hand bound album of drawings and sketches with Yoshitoshi’s name and date inscribed, not in his hand, on the first leaf (please see images). The date is written “the 27th year of Meiji period, Oct. 10th.” The 27th year of the Meiji is the year 1894, two years after the Artist’s death.

The album is hand bound and had many blank pages. In addition, the final non-blank pages are colored around the drawings with cinnabar, clearly by the artist. Hence while the album could have been assembled after his death, the more likely probability is that it was bound by the Artist and became a working album, which he continually added to over the years. 

Condition: Very good condition; the black spots visible on the jpg are on the support sheet, not the drawing, the Gambi paper being translucent.

Medium: Pen and ink drawing.

Date: Composed c1880s.

Dimensions: Overall size: 10 3/4 x 7 in. (273 x 178 mm). Image size: 9 5/8 x 6 1/8 in. (244 x 156 mm).