Created from high-quality wood, milled with simple clean lines and presented with a satin finish. Includes an off-white mount that will not discolour or fade with age. - Simple, elegant design - Premium, fine art paper with a gently textured surface - Handmade by specialist picture framers - FSC certified off-white mat / window mount - Delivered ready for hanging

"Woman Applying Rouge" is a captivating woodblock print by Goyo Hashiguchi, a master of the Shin-hanga movement in early 20th-century Japan. This delicate and intimate image portrays a moment of personal ritual, where a young woman is seen in a private setting meticulously applying rouge to her lips.

The woman is captured in a side profile, presenting a composed and serene countenance. Her hair, meticulously styled in a traditional Japanese manner, frames her face elegantly. She wears a kimono with intricate patterns that reflect a sense of refinement and luxury, common in Goyo’s depiction of women. The subtle colors of the kimono, often in shades of soft blues and pastels, complement the soft tones of her skin, highlighting Goyo's exquisite attention to detail and mastery in rendering delicate textures.

The background is minimalistic, perhaps a plain wall or a part of a room that only subtly indicates an interior space, ensuring that the viewer’s focus remains on the central figure. The lighting is gentle, emphasizing the softness and the serene mood of the scene, enhancing the intimate and personal nature of the act being portrayed.

Information About the Original Painting and the Artist:
Goyo Hashiguchi (1880-1921), born Hashiguchi Kiyoshi, is renowned for his exquisite woodblock prints that exemplify the Shin-hanga (New Prints) movement, which sought to revive traditional ukiyo-e art with modern sensibilities and techniques. Goyo’s works are distinct for their refined and elegant portrayal of female beauty, with meticulous attention to detail, texture, and color.

The original "Woman Applying Rouge" reflects Goyo’s profound skill in capturing the subtle, ephemeral moments of everyday life, particularly those depicting women's private and understated beauty rituals. The print is a part of a broader series of bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women) that Goyo completed between 1915 and 1921, a period that marked the zenith of his short but highly influential career.

Placement and Historical Context:
The original print of "Woman Applying Rouge," like many of Goyo’s works, is highly valued and often featured in collections dedicated to Japanese prints and the Shin-hanga movement. It has been exhibited in various museums and exhibitions globally that focus on Japanese art, including institutions like the Art Institute of Chicago and the Honolulu Museum of Art, which house impressive collections of Shin-hanga prints.

Notable Details:
1. Technique and Style: Goyo’s prints, including "Woman Applying Rouge," are exemplary for their fine lines and delicate use of color, achieved through sophisticated carving and printing techniques. His portrayal of the kimono's fabric, the woman’s hair, and her skin showcases his incredible attention to detail and ability to convey texture.

2. Cultural Significance: The painting holds a deep sense of cultural reflection, capturing the elegance and tradition in Japanese daily life, particularly from a woman’s perspective. The act of applying makeup is not merely cosmetic but a ritual with historical and cultural resonance.

3. Artistic Movements: "Woman Applying Rouge" fits seamlessly within the Shin-hanga movement’s goals of blending traditional Japanese art forms with Western influences, like realistic shading and perspective, while maintaining essential Japanese aesthetics.

4. Legacy: Despite his untimely death in 1921, Goyo Hashiguchi’s works left a lasting impact on Japanese art and continue to be celebrated for their beauty and technical mastery. His legacy is evident in the continued popularity and admiration for his prints, which maintain their allure and significance in art history.