Framed Prints
Framed Print of Beauty Before a Screen, 1800s. Creator: Kawanabe Kyosai (Japanese, 1831-1889)
Beauty Before a Screen, 1800s. Beautiful women elegantly clad in rich, multilayered kimono were the most popular subjects of traditional Japanese artists and printmakers of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. This courtesan, identified by the obi tied in front, is posed in a traditional manner: she moves forward, turning her head to look over her shoulder. Her bare foot is an erotic gesture. Kyosai favored this theme, painting it many times during his career. Here, he masterfully contrasted the monochromatic ink style of landscape painting in the folding screen with the courtesans elaborately decorated outer robe in which he skillfully hid the Seven Gods of Good Fortune. Amid a riot of flowers, jewels, lucky coral, and symbols of long life, the gods can be identified by their attributes: Ebisu wears a folded pointed cap and carries a fish; Daikoku has a round face and wears a cloth cap; Bishamonten has a mustache, a beard, and a spear; Hotei poses as the Buddhist deity Jizo, protecting Chinese children from a nearby demon. Not readily seen is the beautiful goddess Benzaiten; perhaps Kyosai intended to have the courtesan represent this role. Kawanabe Kyosai repeated this large-scale composition with variations a number of times. In this version, a famous 15th-century courtesan known for wearing a robe with images of the Buddhist hells stands before a folding screen. Legend has it that she was abducted by bandits, and wore the garment to symbolize her belief that her suffering in her current life was punishment for sins committed in a former life. Here, in a parody depiction of the garment, the courtesan stands in for Benzaiten, the goddess of everything that flows, while the remaining members of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune appear on her outer robe. One of them reports sins to Enma, the King of Hell, who is writing out his judgments on the recently deceased. Heritage Images features heritage image collections. © Heritage Art/Heritage Images
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Media ID 19648996
Hanging Scroll Ink And Colour On Silk Kano School
Modern Frame 14"x12" (36x31cm)
Ready to Hang Contemporary Framed Prints adds style, protection, and a polished touch to your space - effortlessly.
Your artwork will be printed as shown in the preview. To adjust please select Edit Printed Image under the Buy button
Wood effect frame, card mounted, 10x8 fade resistant photo print. Overall outside dimensions 14x12 inches (36x31cm). Environmentally and ozone friendly, 40mm wide x 15mm Polycore® moulding has the look of real wood, is durable and light and easy to hang. Biodegradable and made with non-chlorinated gases (no toxic fumes) it is efficient; producing 100 tons of polystyrene can save 300 tons of trees! Prints are glazed with lightweight, shatterproof, optical clarity acrylic (providing the same general protection from the environment as glass). The back is stapled hardboard with a sawtooth hanger attached. Note: measurements provided are estimated outer dimensions, which include both the image and the frame. While we aim to keep sizing consistent, exact dimensions may vary slightly due to differences in print size or production requirements, which may result in a variation in the overall size (up to approximately 2.5cm (1"))
These are individually made so all sizes are approximate
Estimated Image Size (if not cropped) is 11.3cm x 24.4cm (4.4" x 9.6")
Estimated Product Size is 31cm x 36cm (12.2" x 14.2")
