Beauty with Eyeglasses

Catalog note / 解説

Chikanobu was an early Meiji (late 19th century) ukiyo-e artist. As its title suggests, this print attempts to depict a new type of woman reflective of Japan’s efforts to modernize itself into an industrial nation on equal status with Europe and the United States. She sits on a Western-style chair, wearing a ring and sporting a Western-inspired hairdo. Most noticeable are her eyeglasses, which make her appear intelligent and fashionable. However, certain characteristics, such as her slanted eyes and the use of flat colors (such as those seen in Edo-period ukiyo-e) mark this as an early transitional work still deeply indebted to ukiyo-e. Many late 19th century Japanese artists struggled to f…