WOMAN READING A LETTER
Three-quarter portrait of an Edo period Japanese courtesan caught reading a letter. Her clothing is simple: an inner pink kimono peeks out from the collar and short sleeves of the outer gray kimono with black trim. The note of color is provided by the obi tied at the waist at the front, the ribbon around the bow and the light turquoise background.
This image is part of the bijin-ga series (“Pretty women”) drawn by Mario BGil, based in the Kitigawa Utamaro woodblock print “Woman reding a letter” (1792-17993).
The artist reproduces also the seal of the censor (Kiwame) and the original publisher's seal (Tsutaya, climbing leaf), as it appears in the woodblock print used as a model; between the two, the signature of Mario BGil written in Japanese, with the date 14 (2014).
The measurements of the woodblock print are 37,2 x 24,5 cm., the drawing made by Mario BGil is 76 x 56 cm. / 29,92 x 22.05 in.
With his work on the bijing-ga series, Mario BGil wanted to embellish, give brilliance and volume to the images presented by japanese artist Kitigawa Utamaro in those beautiful engravings, ennobled with the patina of time, which have served as inspiration. The result obtained is almost life-size portraits, endowed with strong chromaticism and valuable contrasts, all enhanced, in turn, with the volume provided by the weight and rigidity of the paper, and its thick texture (Fabriano Artistico “grana grosso”, 640g/m2); the thickness and hardness of the paper makes it necessary to transport it without rolling).
In this way, Mario BGil pays tribute to his admired artist and offers us a new and enriched vision of this popular facet of oriental art from the 18th and 19th centuries.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Mario BGil is a self-taught artist who for years has combined his creative activity with his work in the family business, away from commercial art galleries. In 2012, a deep interest in oriental art was awakened in him and he began to study the great masters of Japanese Ukiyo-e prints, who had such an influence on the European avant-garde of the late s...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Edo Art by Medium: Color Pencil
MaterialsPaper, Pencil, Color Pencil
