Ito Shinsui

Couple Embracing in Street at Night

1928

Signed and dated by the artist in ink, lower right Annotated in ink lower left: 3. Plate 15. - Lesson 3 A very early student work. From the Artist's estate

Signed by the artist in ink lower right Preliminary sketch in reverse for the 1928 lithograph "Cornucopia," part of Dehn's Paris Lithographs portfolio An unsigned sketch of tw...

Signed and dated by the artist in ink, lower right Annotated in ink lower left: Plate 19. Sec. 1. Lesson 4 Note: A very early student work by Dehn Provenance: Estate of the Artist

New Orleans Sportin House Pen and ink on paper, 1951 Signed in ink, titled and dated in pencil (see photos) Condition: Corners are pasted to support sheet, some staining in image. Image/sheet size: 15 5/8 x 18 inches Provenance: Acquired from the artist Joseph M. Erdelac, Cleveland, patron and friend of the artist Stephen Longstreet (1907-2002) The artist’s own grandchildren attempt to fathom the real life and nature of Stephen Longstreet, prolific author, artist, screenplay writer, and jazz aficionado. Born Chauncy Weiner (sometimes spelled Wiener) in New York City in 1907, Longstreet reinvented himself on a regular basis. Changing his name first to “Henry,” then “Henri,” he started his career as a commercial artist for a department store. In various public biographies he claimed to have studied in New York, London, and Paris, and said he was a student of cartoonist Ralph Barton...

Lower East Side Crowd Ink and ink wash on paper, c. 1910 Signed in ink lower center edge (see photo) Signed with the initials lower right corner (see p...

Signed and dated lower right Provenance: Estate of the artist Ink on paper

Attributed to Ukita Ikkei (1795-1859) Hanging scroll painting of the American ship commanded by Commodore Matthew Perry in Uraga Bay, annotate...

Ink and watercolor on fibrous Japon paper laid down to period cream laid paper, 6 x 7 1/2 inches (155 x 190 mm). Minor toning and some insect damage on the mount, painting itself rem...

Bijing-Ga series XXVII (Nº 27) Title: Tomomoto Toyohina Tomimoto Toyohina was a much sought-after geisha (entertainer) who performed narrative ballads accompanied by the shamisen. She was one of several non-prostitute beauties, including teahouse waitresses, whom Utamaro depicted repeatedly in the early to mid 1790s. She appears here with a brush in hand, dressed and combed with simple elegance. This composition is from a six-print series comprising half-length portraits of famous beauties (Famous beauties of Edo). Utamaro elevated Tomimoto Toyohina to the status of one of the three most renowned beauties of her age (together with Okita and Ohisa). She was from a prominent family of musicians that provided entertainment in the Yoshiwara. Toyohina’s appeal undoubtedly was as much due to her appearance as to her skills in singing, and Utamaro’s celebration of her would have further elevated the status of an already well-known lineage. This image is part of the bijin-ga series (“Pretty women”) drawn by Mario BGil, based in the Kitigawa Utamaro woodblock print...

Bijin-ga series XXI (Nº 21) Title: The courtese Hinakoto of the Hyôgorô House of Edo The courtesan Hinakoto is depicted by smoking tobacco. She takes the pipe delicately in her left hand and, in her right hand, she seems to be holding a “uchiwa” (rigid hand fan) that comes out from the bottom of the drawing, decorated with written calligraphy. Some strands of hair that fall on her temple and her scant clothing show that the painter has surprised her in a relaxed moment in which she does not lose her elegance and slenderness. This image is part of the bijin-ga series (“Pretty women”) drawn by Mario BGil, based in the Kitigawa Utamaro woodblock print...

BIJIN-GA SERIES XVIII (Nº 18) Title: Obvious Love (Arawaruru Koi) This image is part of the bijin-ga series (“Pretty women”) drawn by Mario BGil, based in the Kitigawa Utamaro woodblock print Obvious Love (Arawaruru Koi) (1793-94); 38,8 x 26,2 cm.. Art Institute Chicago, USA. A sensual woman seems to care little that her kimono is open, exposing a breast. Her hair is in disarray , the hairpin at the front about to fall and she holds one of the hairpins in her left hand. She appears to be looking down outside the frame of the picture, perhaps in mid-conversation. The term “arawaruru” refers to a love so wholehearted that it expresses itself in the lover´s face and mannerisms. In the 1780's and 90's the publisher Tsutaya Juzaburo and the designer Kitagawa Utamaro worked together on the production of many woodblock prints, most of them of the bijin-ga type. One of their most popular productions was a set of images that purported to depict psychological classifications of women - 'fickle', 'interesting', etc.. Perhaps in response to this success, they then came up with something similar - a set of prints...

Bijin-ga Series I (Nº1) Title: Karagoto of The Chojiya Head and bust portrait of the beautiful courtesan Karagoto, of the Chojiya House, who appears looking to her left while drying her right ear with the sleeve of her yukata (a fine summer garment, normally made of cotton that was normally used after bathing). The wide sleeve falls from her ear covering her right breast and leaving the left one uncovered. This image is part of the bijin-ga series (“Pretty women”) drawn by Mario BGil, based in the Kitigawa Utamaro woodblock print...