Yoshitoshi: Lady Gosechi from 100 Aspects of the Moon (Sold)

Artist: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892)
Title: Lady Gosechi (Gosechi no myobu)
Series: One Hundred Aspects of the Moon: Tsuki hyakushi
Date: 1887

Two noblemen in Heian court robes are deeply moved as they listen to the playing of  the koto by Lady Gosechi, now a nun, who formerly was a member of the imperial court. They sit in the moonlight on the verandah of what might be a ruined palace, surrounded by signs of dilapidation and faded glory. A fine length of silk hangs in tatters, and the blinds are frayed , with pampas grass seen growing in the background. Everything about this print contributes to a mood of nostalgia for past glories and melancholy for the reality of impermanence. This is an unusually early impression, exquisitely printed.

Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition. A few tiny, minor spots in right margin.  Unbacked and untrimmed.
Dimensions: ôban (37.2 x 25.2 cm)
Publisher: Akiyama Buemon
Seal: Engraver: Yamamoto
Signature: Yoshitoshi with his seal

Literature: John Stevenson, Yoshitoshi’s One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (San Francisco: San Francisco Graphic Society, 1992), no. 51.

SKU: YOT778