Girl (D)
Saitō Kiyoshi
Description
Saito Kiyoshi
Japan, 1907–1997
Girl D (far left)
Sho-wa period (1926–89)
1967
Color woodblock print on paper
Gift of Dr. Seymour and Barbara K. Adelson, 2008/2.183
Saito Kiyoshi
Japan, 1907–1997
Solitude (middle left)
Showa period (1926–89)
1948
Color woodblock print on paper
Gift of the artist, 1958/2.9
Yasuo Kuniyoshi
United States, 1889–1953
Girl with Cigarette (left)
1934
Lithograph on paper
Museum purchase, 1948/1.64
Images of new fashions and fashionable activities were common in
the mass-produced woodblock prints of the Edo period (1603–1867)
and they continued to serve as a subject matter for twentieth-
century artists. These four works combine an interest in the
appearances of fashionable women in the first half of the twentieth
century with new styles of prints.
The works show women who have adopted fashions that emerged
as part of the radical changes of the twentieth century. Ito Shinsui’s
painting (far left wall) depicts a woman in more traditional
garments, but with the newly popular bobbed and curled hairstyle.
Saito Kiyoshi’s two prints reframe the longstanding genre of
bijin-ga (depictions of beautiful people) as strikingly modern by
emphasizing the women’s engagement with current fashions and
using a bold, minimal style. Lastly, the lithograph by the Japanese-
American artist Yasuo Kuniyoshi draws heavily from the European
tradition of paintings of modern life, especially those of the “new
woman” that emerged in the nineteenth century.
Fall 2022 Gallery Rotation
__________
Recent Acquisitions Part II
March 31-August 5, 2012
Saitô Kiyoshi
Japan, 1907–1997
Girl D
Showa Period (1926–89)
1967
Color woodblock print on paper
Gift of Dr. Seymour and Barbara K. Adelson, 2008/2.183
Subject Matter:
Originally trained as a sign painter, Saitô then taught himself the techniques of woodblock printing after moving to Tokyo. Girl (D) is characteristic of the woodcuts for which Saitô is well-known, with its graphic nature and integration of strong woodgrain patterns into the composition. Saitô was part of the movement in Japan, called Sosaku hanga, that moved away from the traditional workshop-based printmaking practices towards one in which the individual artist was responsible for the design, creation, and production of their artwork.
Physical Description:
This woodcut has an image of a girl, from about mid-torso, looking over her shoulder from behind. She has short hair and faces off to the right of the page. On off-white paper, the print uses two color blocks: black graphic on red background. The print is signed (l.l.) "Kiyoshi Saitô" in white ink, and titled, numbered and dated in pencil (l.c.) "GIRL (D) 33/100 1967".
Usage Rights:
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