Three Beauties: Kayo of Kyoto, Hitotsuru of Osaka, and Kokichi of Tokyo
1877
Among Meiji artists, Kobayashi Kiyochika stands out for the diversity and quality of his works, which closely reflect the wide-ranging changes then taking place in Japan. In essence, his works exemplify the struggle of Meiji artists in their attempts to reconcile Japanese artistic traditions with the “modernity” of Western art. Kiyochika worked on a number of experimental prints that drew on Western models and techniques to depict Japanese themes. Among them were some revealing attempts at portraiture.
“Beauties of the three capitals” (Kyoto, Tokyo, Osaka) is a familiar subject in traditional ukiyo-e, but in this work, a rare impression of the first edition of this print, Kiyochika brilliantly combines the three into a single oval portrait by overlapping the eyes. The result is both fresh and striking. The oval shape, the black-and-white printing, as well as the shading on the faces, all indicate that Kiyochika was making references to photography, which was exotic to the contemporary Japanese audience.
Above the oval portrait, a gilt frame encloses the title and publication information, adding another touch of Western art. The poem card on the right is decorated with gold flakes, and inscribed with a haiku, which reads:
Oh to see moon and snow together
In the mountain of cherry blossoms
Woodblock print (ōban tate-e); ink and color with metallic pigments
14 1/4 x 9 1/2 in. (36.2 x 24.1 cm)
Asian Art Acquisition Fund
2013.10.1
Provenance: [Sold at auction, upstate New York, date unknown]; [purchased by an art dealer, New York]; [purchased from Sebastian Izzard LLC Asian Art, New York]
Photo: Elizabeth Mann
