Description
Refined original woodblock print of the kuchi-e (口絵) type taken from vol. 6 n. 3 of the famous literary magazine Bungei Kurabu (文芸倶楽部). The work was made by the artist Tomioka Eisen (富岡永洗) as the frontispiece of the novel “Bachiatari” (罰あたり), that is “The Cursed”, by the writer Tsukahara Jushien (塚原渋柿園).
Tomioka Eisen (1864 – 1905), a pupil of Kobayashi Eitaku (小林永濯), began working as a freelance artist when he was still a draughtsman in the imperial army. After the disappearance of his master, he devoted himself entirely to his artistic career and became a very appreciated and well-paid magazine illustrator. He died only forty-one years old, when the kuchi-e movement was in full bloom.
The print on Japanese washi paper (和紙), produced in February 1900 by the Hakubunkan (博文館) publishing house, despite the right signs of aging, is in very good general condition.
