\"The Ideal vs. Reality\" by Suzuki Kason, woodblock print, Taisho period For Sale

Suzuki Kason (1860-1919) was a highly influential Japanese painter and illustrator active during the late Meiji and early Taisho periods. He bridged traditional Japanese art forms with modern publishing demands. He was the son of a kimono merchant and those designs heavily influenced his work. He won many awards, even in foreign markets. He became a kuchi-e master--kuchi-e are frontispiece illustration inserts for popular commercial literature magazines. This piece is a prime example of kuchi-e called \"The Ideal vs. Reality.\" The square in the upper right corner states this title. The woman dressed elegantly in the right center represents the ideal while the other two figures--a fisherman and woman--are dressed in common clothes and represent the real. Notice that they both look up to her just as she looks down on them, a reflection of the duality of meaning in this artwork. The artist\'s signature is in the small red seal just above the fisherman\'s blue hat. (size 9.5 x 7 in)