Customs of the Kansei Era - Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

A refined woodblock print by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi from his series Thirty-two Aspects of Customs and Manners, capturing a woman in a moment of quiet reflection.

This woodblock print belongs to the series Thirty-two Aspects of Customs and Manners, produced by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi during the late Meiji period. The work depicts a woman from the Kansei era, identified by her specific hairstyle and attire. Yoshitoshi, often considered the final master of the ukiyo-e tradition, brings a psychological depth to this portrait that departs from the flatter, more conventional depictions of beauties found in earlier Edo-period prints.

The composition is defined by the swirling, ethereal smoke that envelops the subject, creating a sense of movement and atmosphere. The woman holds a folding fan, her posture suggesting a moment of quiet contemplation or rest. Her kimono features a precise, geometric pattern that contrasts with the fluid, organic lines of the smoke. The colour palette is restrained, relying on soft greys, blacks, and subtle touches of red and gold to draw the eye to the subject's face and hands.

Yoshitoshi utilised the technical capabilities of the late nineteenth-century printing process to achieve subtle gradations in the background, known as bokashi. This technique adds a sense of depth and softness to the scene. The inclusion of cartouches containing calligraphy provides historical context, typical of the series, which aimed to document the changing fashions and social customs of various historical periods in Japan. The print demonstrates the artist's ability to balance decorative elements with a nuanced portrayal of human expression. It remains a representative example of the transition between traditional Japanese printmaking and the influences of Western artistic techniques that began to permeate the Japanese art world during the late nineteenth century.