Takehisa Yumeji (竹久夢二), 1884–1934 Keshō no Aki (化粧の秋) – Makeup in Autumn Technique: Original woodblock print (mokuhanga) — posthumous limited edition, hand-carved and hand-printed from woodblocks Original Design: October 1924. Originally published as a woodblock print insertion in Fujin Gurafu (The Ladies' Graphic), Vol. 1, No. 6 This Edition: Posthumous limited edition, c. 1986. Published by Matsunaga Mokuhanga Kenkyūjo (松永木版画研究所 — Matsunaga Woodblock Print Research Institute) Edition: 56/300, hand-numbered in pencil Format: Square format, 23.5 × 22.0 cm (6.1 × 6.7 in) image; full margins Inscriptions: Signed 夢二 画 (Yumeji ga) with title 化粧の秋 (Keshō no Aki) in pencil (lower left). Carver's mark 彫 増 (hori Masu) and printer's mark (lower right). Publisher's mark 版元 松永木版画研究所 (right margin) ---------------------------------------------------- Condition Report Impression & Colors: Very good to excellent. The rich cobalt blue background, the bold red of the compact mirror, the gold metallic accents on the ring and lettering, and the delicate pink nail polish and blush are all fresh and precisely registered. The fine black keyblock lines are crisp throughout. This later edition maintains the same technical quality and number of color blocks as the original 1924 printing. Paper: Very good condition, uncut margins which is rare. Some light toning visible primarily on the verso (back); the recto presents clean. Some light toning --------------------------------------------------------- Keshō no Aki — A Modern Girl Applies Her Makeup "Keshō no Aki" (Makeup in Autumn) is one of Yumeji Takehisa's most iconic and frequently reproduced images — a quintessential statement of Taishō-era modernity. A young woman with a fashionable bobbed hairstyle applies rouge to her cheek, gazing into a red compact mirror she holds delicately in her left hand. Her right hand pats her face with practiced ease, ring finger and little finger gracefully extended, a large gold ring catching the light on her index finger. Her pink-painted nails, the beauty mark near her lips, and the bold "Oct." lettering in the upper right corner all place this image squarely in the world of 1920s magazine illustration — stylish, graphic, and effortlessly cosmopolitan. The composition is framed within a printed border — a device that recalls both Western Art Nouveau poster design and the decorative framing conventions of Japanese illustrated magazines. The vivid cobalt blue background with its vertical white streaks (suggesting rain, or perhaps a beaded curtain) creates a bold, poster-like flatness against which the woman's pale face and the red disk of her mirror stand out with striking graphic impact. This is Yumeji at his most modern: a Japanese artist absorbing the visual language of European Art Deco and early graphic design, yet retaining the delicate line quality and lyrical mood that define his unmistakable style. -------------------------------------------------------------- Takehisa Yumeji: The Poet of Taishō Romanticism Takehisa Yumeji (1884–1934) was a painter, printmaker, poet, and illustrator who became one of the most beloved cultural figures of Taishō-era Japan. Born in Okayama Prefecture, he moved to Tokyo as a young man and — remarkably for his time — never formally studied under any painting master. Self-taught and fiercely independent, he began designing postcards, book covers, and magazine illustrations that captured the imagination of a generation. His dreamy, fragile-looking young women — with their large, melancholy eyes, slender figures, and fashionable Western-inflected clothing — became cultural icons known simply as "Yumeji-style beauties" (Yumeji-shiki bijin). They defined the visual culture of the Taishō period so completely that the era's aesthetic is often called "Taishō Romanticism," and Yumeji is considered its principal architect. From 1924, Yumeji served as lead illustrator for Fujin Gurafu (The Ladies' Graphic), one of the most popular women's magazines of the era. The woodblock print insertions he designed for the magazine — including this "Keshō no Aki" from the October 1924 issue — were originally produced using a semi-mechanical process (kikai mokuhan): hand-applied color on woodblocks, printed with the aid of a press to meet the magazine's large circulation. These original magazine insertions are now extremely rare and highly sought after. This impression is from a posthumous limited edition of 300, published by the Matsunaga Mokuhanga Kenkyūjo (Matsunaga Woodblock Print Research Institute), c. 1986. Unlike the mass-produced magazine originals, this edition was hand-printed using traditional mokuhanga techniques — carved and printed by named artisans (carver: Masu; printer identified in the margin) — making it in some respects a more refined and collectible object than the original 1924 printing. The edition is hand-numbered (this impression: 56/300) and maintains full margins with deckle edges on quality washi paper. Yumeji's legacy is preserved at the Takehisa Yumeji Museum in Tokyo, and his original prints and paintings continue to command strong prices at auction in Japan and internationally.