Description
«I dip the brush for him / who fills my thoughts. / Spring scenery» (筆染る / 思ひの種よ / 春けしき). The verses of this poetic composition, visible above Mount Fuji (富士山) and signed by Mikazukiren Asahian Asahimaru (三日月連旭庵旭丸), accompany the depiction of a bijin (美人) beauty paired at the Yoshiwara Station (吉原駅).
The important woodblock print, of large vertical oban (大判) format, was made in the 1830s by the artist Keisai Eisen (渓斎英泉) and is taken from a series commonly known as “Bijin Tokaido” (美人東海道), in which the artist pairs beautiful women with the stations of the famous connecting route.
The print on Japanese washi paper (和紙), produced by the publisher Tsutaya Kichizo (蔦屋吉蔵), owner of Koeido (紅英堂), shows signs of aging and, in particular, restorations on wormholes.
