Shimura Tatsumi (志村立美) (artist 1907 – 1980)
Rouge (beni - 紅)
1980
49 cm x 40.6 cm (Overall dimensions) Japanese Woodblock Print
Signed: Tatsumi (立美)
Artist's seal in red: dancing figure wearing a hat
Publisher: Yūyūdo
悠々洞出版 (lower left margin)
The original edition was said to be 450. It was numbered in pencil in the lower left corner just outside of the image, but this copy appears to be unnumbered. However, we did find another edition of 150 that was supposedly from 1970.
A lovely geisha wears a lined [i.e., striped?] kimono (called awase 袷) over her bare skin after her bath. She looks into a mirror outside the image and applies red lipstick 口紅 with a brush. Her hairstyle is called tsubushi shimada 潰し島田. which was all the rage in the late Edo period (until 1868). Lots of shiny hair indicated youth and good health.
The carver is said to be Kentaro Maeda, the printer Ritsuzo Sato.
Yūyūdo (悠々洞出版) (publisher)
modern prints (shin hanga - 新版画) (genre)
beautiful women (bijin-ga - 美人画) (genre)