Sold for €1,430
including Buyer's Premium
By Yamaguchi Soken (1759-1818), signed Soken giga, with the artist's seal Sansai.
Japan, early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)
Ink, watercolor, gouache, and gold paint on silk. Mounted on cardboard and set inside a passe-partout, framed, behind glass. Finely painted with a young Geisha clad in a long, flowing kimono with an ornamental obi, depicted playfully interacting with a cat, beside a near-transparent mosquito net. The portrayal is subtly sensual, the cleavage of the young woman revealing her youthful décolletage.
Inscriptions: Signed to the lower left 素絢戯画 Soken giga [Painted by Soken in amusement] with the seal 山斎 Sansai (one of the art names that Soken used). The poem at the upper margin, composed and inscribed by Shokusanjin (Ota Nanpo): 猫乃眼の、玉子乃肌と、玉くれの、うらむつらみ、ミるを申し茅 ‘Neko no me no, tamago no hada wo, tamagure no, uramu tsurami, miru wo moushi kaya’ [The cat's eye, my skin white and polished like an egg, such playful whims and painful reproaches, the mosquito net witnesses everything].
SIZE (image) 37,5 x 14,5 cm, SIZE (incl. frame) 48 x 24 cm
Condition: Very good condition with excellently preserved colors, minor traces of age and wear, and some foxing.
Yamaguchi Soken (1759-1818) was a renowned Japanese painter affiliated with the Maruyama Shijō school, recognized for his exceptional skills, particularly in depicting beautiful women. As the son of a kimono merchant, he developed a keen understanding of women's fashion and lifestyle, which he skillfully incorporated into his art. Beyond his portraits of women, Soken excelled in landscapes, bird-and-flower paintings, and genre scenes, often capturing the vibrant culture and customs of Kyoto in a lighthearted manner. His artistic talents extended beyond traditional paintings, as evidenced by his illustrated books and collaborative works with other artists. Soken's works are highly sought after and can be found in prestigious museums worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the British Museum, and the Seattle Art Museum. His legacy as a talented and versatile artist continues to inspire and captivate art enthusiasts today.
Museum comparison:
For a related scroll painting of a Kyoto Geisha by the same artist, see the collection of the Brooklyn Museum, accession number 83.111.1.
Auction comparison:
Compare a related two-panel scroll painting of three court ladies, by the same artist, (size 164.6 x 171.8 cm), at Christie’s, Japanese and Korean Works of Art, 22 September 2004, New York. lot 183 (sold for USD 65,725).
By Yamaguchi Soken (1759-1818), signed Soken giga, with the artist's seal Sansai.
Japan, early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)
Ink, watercolor, gouache, and gold paint on silk. Mounted on cardboard and set inside a passe-partout, framed, behind glass. Finely painted with a young Geisha clad in a long, flowing kimono with an ornamental obi, depicted playfully interacting with a cat, beside a near-transparent mosquito net. The portrayal is subtly sensual, the cleavage of the young woman revealing her youthful décolletage.
Inscriptions: Signed to the lower left 素絢戯画 Soken giga [Painted by Soken in amusement] with the seal 山斎 Sansai (one of the art names that Soken used). The poem at the upper margin, composed and inscribed by Shokusanjin (Ota Nanpo): 猫乃眼の、玉子乃肌と、玉くれの、うらむつらみ、ミるを申し茅 ‘Neko no me no, tamago no hada wo, tamagure no, uramu tsurami, miru wo moushi kaya’ [The cat's eye, my skin white and polished like an egg, such playful whims and painful reproaches, the mosquito net witnesses everything].
SIZE (image) 37,5 x 14,5 cm, SIZE (incl. frame) 48 x 24 cm
Condition: Very good condition with excellently preserved colors, minor traces of age and wear, and some foxing.
Yamaguchi Soken (1759-1818) was a renowned Japanese painter affiliated with the Maruyama Shijō school, recognized for his exceptional skills, particularly in depicting beautiful women. As the son of a kimono merchant, he developed a keen understanding of women's fashion and lifestyle, which he skillfully incorporated into his art. Beyond his portraits of women, Soken excelled in landscapes, bird-and-flower paintings, and genre scenes, often capturing the vibrant culture and customs of Kyoto in a lighthearted manner. His artistic talents extended beyond traditional paintings, as evidenced by his illustrated books and collaborative works with other artists. Soken's works are highly sought after and can be found in prestigious museums worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the British Museum, and the Seattle Art Museum. His legacy as a talented and versatile artist continues to inspire and captivate art enthusiasts today.
Museum comparison:
For a related scroll painting of a Kyoto Geisha by the same artist, see the collection of the Brooklyn Museum, accession number 83.111.1.
Auction comparison:
Compare a related two-panel scroll painting of three court ladies, by the same artist, (size 164.6 x 171.8 cm), at Christie’s, Japanese and Korean Works of Art, 22 September 2004, New York. lot 183 (sold for USD 65,725).
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