Description
Important original woodblock print made in the 1810s by the artist Kikukawa Eizan (菊川英山) and depicting a bijin (美人) beauty who after having dinner, as we infer from the toothpick she holds between her lips, is enjoying the cool of the evening sitting on a terrace overlooking the Ryogoku Bridge (両国橋). On the waters of the Sumida River (隅田川) we can see many pleasure boats including, in the foreground, the Kawaichimaru (川一丸), on board of which is taking place a party with a buffet in the bow and which must have been very well known since it has been depicted by several ukiyo-e (浮世絵) artists.
The work, dating from the late Bunka era (文化末年), was produced by the publisher Uemura Yohei (上村与兵衛) and is entitled “Cooling Off at Ryogoku Bridge” (両国涼ミ図).
The rare print, of vertical large oban (大判) format, despite the evident signs of aging and in particular partially restored wormholes, is in overall fair condition.
