Posted by Dan (24.58.4.235) on January 12, 2006 at 19:55:01:
In Reply to: interesting unidentified print posted by davidh on January 12, 2006 at 11:54:12:
Dear David,
The design on which this print was based is by the great Rimpa artist Ogata Korin (long o: Kourin). The original was a screen painting and one of Korin's most celebrated works.
The coloring and design of this printed version is quite free compared to the original.
The signature supplied is "Seisei Kourin" with his round red seal, but this a posthumous work, probably late 19th or early 20th century. Korin's dates are 1658-1716.
There were some books made of Korin's designs in the Edo Period as well, but to my knowledge these weren't color printed or designed this way. If the size matches that of a book, however, they are likely from such a source. Many books with famous works from Japanese art were color printed this way in the Meiji Period, most notably "Bijutsu no Sekai" ("The World of Art") which had over 15 volumes I believe, and somewhat similar coloring.