Page 146 - 2021 March 16th Japanese and Korean Art, Christie's New York City

118 TORII KIYONAGA (1752-1815)

Beauties by a floor screen

Woodblock print, from the series Jittai
e-fuzoku(Ten forms of manner in pictures),
signed Kiyonaga ga, published by Takasu
Soshichi
Vertical oban: 14æ x 9√ in. (37.5 x 25.1 cm.)

$6,000-8,000

PROVENANCE:
Henri Vever (1854-1943), Paris, sold Sotheby's
London, Highly Important Japanese Prints, Illusted
Books and Drawings from the Henri Vever Collection:
Part I, 26 March 1974, lot 165

LITERATURE:
Jack Miller, Japanese Prints & Drawings from the Vever
Collection, Volume One (London: Sotheby Parke
Bernet Publications Ltd, 1976). Pp 348.

Produced in his early 40s, Torii Kiyonaga created
the series Jittai e-fuzoku (Ten forms of manner
in pictures) as his last production of oban beauty
portraits. Comparing to his works made in his thirties,
this series shows less power but instead focused on
expressing the fluidity of lines and the elegancy of
the beauties. In this rare print, Kiyonaga depicted an
intimacy moment of two courtesans. One dressed
loosely, and the other was still in futon looking at her
- a Yoshiwara's private behind-the-scenes glimpse
full of delicacy.