Katsushika Oi: "Courtesans Showing Themselves to the Strollers through the Grille" - Beauty of Light and Shadow (Ukiyoe Ota Memorial of Art)

(Translated by Google Translate)

Will not have much people to know the name of Katsushika Oi.

Of course, I also did not know its name.

Should be a person from the name, there was a Yukari and Katsushika Hokusai, easily imagine that.

In the third daughter of Hokusai, rare in the Edo period, Katsushika Oi was a woman painter.

The exhibition, which was held in Ota Memorial Museum of Art kudzu Tokyo, Harajuku, it could be seeing the work of the Katsushika Oi.

And one point ahead of original painting view Noriyuki Yoshihara lattice, was on display at this exhibition, only prints of illustrations of book bound in Japanese style of Takai Lanshan called "Woman Symbol come in handy."

Huh? Only it? I thought it was, but the original painting of Katsushika Oi has not been confirmed only 10 points only about around the world. Also book bound in Japanese style of printmaking, there are only two points.

The term can be in the eye at a time of them, two points, if you think about it, it's a luxury opportunity.

Earlier view Hiroyuki Yoshihara lattice work elaborate from between the lattice dark outside, that many people, looking through, a gorgeous in-store appearance of red light district.

People are drawn in color bright colors, are excluded from the outside, beautiful kimono of the prostitute in the store is painted in black silhouette of the shadow. The contrast is beautiful.

This work depicted aware of the light source, obviously, the influence of Western painting can be seen. I ask about the confidence of the arm of this painter named Katsushika Oi that have mastered the technology.

The venue, ukiyo-e to start the father of Hokusai, ukiyo-e by Toyokuni, Kuniyoshi, and Sakaeizumi, representing the night was also on display.

Representation of the traditional night of Japan is very different from the work of Oi. That in the representation does not pay much attention to the light source, generally, bright at short, and that, draw dark things far away, in the era of the Edo period of live Oi, Western influence went spread gradually well seen.

Come to think of it, once, in the works of Kaneto Shindo director, there was a movie called Hokusai manga. Ogata Ken has played a Hokusai, Tanaka Yuko has had played, was really a Oi.

It was also depicted in the movie, Oi seems was a woman that I inherited as it is the character of Hokusai.

Good at drawing, especially women, work of Hokusai in his later years, many of the women of the original painting in particular, that's what Oi drew.

Takai Lanshan "Woman useful Symbol", which has marked the accomplishment should protect women, Oi depicts a number of illustrations.

Oi are drawn beautifully, a variety of situations. Rather than one that is deformed, such as Utamaro, naturally indeed, expression of women, depicts the expression.

It is not known dates of birth and death that was clearly of Oi. It is believed born around 1800 in (Kansei year), and died in the year of Keio Bakumatsu. Dark side of the moon is larger that life.

However, those works that are left with little, be telling us today, that it ever existed, woman painter with that this Katsushika Oi, a solid arm, was active.

This exhibition, the named Katsushika Oi was supposed to be engraved deeply in my heart.