Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞) / Toyokuni III (三代豊国) (artist 1786 – 01/12/1865)
The beauty Yūgiri (夕きり) in the rain - from the series Fan-tossing for the Elegant (Fūryū tōsenkyō - 風流投扇興)
ca 1825
10.25 in x 14.75 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese color woodblock print
Signed: Gototei Kunisada ga
五渡亭国貞画
Publishers: Yamamotoya Heikichi (Marks 595 - 04-007)
and Azumaya Daisuke (Marks 025 - 06-001)
Censor's seal: kiwame
Ritsumeikan U. - a different print from this series - in black and white - みをつくし (I'll do my best)
Ritsumeikan U. - another print from this series - in black and white - Yomokifu (よもきふ) This is a mitate for chapter 39, Yugiri or 'Evening Mist', from The Tale of Genji. It shows a bijin adjusting her coiffure as she shelters under a porch from a sudden shower of rain.
The artist's crest, the toshidama, appears several times in the lantern-form next to the fan in the upper left.
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There are two other prints from this series shown in black and white at the Ritsumeikan University archives. One of them relates to Chapter 15 of The Tale of Genji and is entitled Yomogi-fu. The other one is entitled Miotsukushi and relates to Chapter 14.
This information would lead one to believe that this set of prints was rather large. It would be wonderful if we could locate the others.
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Another copy of this print was featured in an exhibition at Seikado Bunko Art Museum in Tokyo from January 20 to March 25, 2018.
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Illustrated in color in 歌川国貞 : 美人画を中心に (Utagawa Kunisada: Focusing on Pictures of Beautiful Women), published by Seikado Bunko, 1996, #83, p. 56.
Yamamotoya Heikichi (山本屋平吉) (publisher)
Azumaya Daisuke (東屋大助) (publisher)
beautiful women (bijin-ga - 美人画) (genre)
Genji related prints (Genji-e - 源氏絵) (genre)
mitate-e (見立て絵) (genre)
Yūgiri (夕霧) (role)