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Unpinning History: Japanese Posters in the Age of Commercialism, Imperialism, and ModernismMain MenuIntroductionJapan in the Age of Commercialism, Imperialism, and ModernismThe Rise of Tourism and the Era of Ocean LinersThe Rise of Tourism and the Development of Railway NetworksProvocation of Citizenship: Posters for the Ministry of CommunicationsExhibition CultureBijin: Posters with a Beautiful WomanArrival of Modern Commercial DesignBibliographyCollection NoteReuse and Remix this Exhibition
Toyo Kisen Kaisha = Oriental Steam-Ship Company [Woman with a fan]
12020-04-28T15:29:10-07:00Anne-Marie Maxwell326ac6eff123bb3f77fb517c66299be8b435b479371408plain2020-11-17T15:12:35-08:00Tyson Gaskill93cb401bee8f73160b4c4378060de7643c42eee9Opening her fan to show us the impressive steamship, the woman in the poster is inviting us into her home with a dramatic illustration of Yokohama Wharf. She is a bijin, or young beauty, who exemplifies traditional Japanese femininity in modern Japan. Her kimono disappears into a surrounding blue—the signature color of Toyo Kisen Kaisha, the company which commissioned this poster. The absence of lines delineating a separation between her kimono and monochromatic background is quite abstract, leaving her foreground image to be fully immersed in the negative space. Meanwhile, the lightly toned cream shade of her skin and flag simplify the image, marking a primary contrast of colors between the lively red of her lips, sleeves, hairpiece, and rising sun against the deep blue background. This poster represents the TaishÅ period’s embrace of new technology, including the steamship, modern consumerist design, and its hybridity of long-standing Japanese aesthetic tastes, which is reflected in the theme of bijin in the style of Nihonga (Japanese-style) painting. (Sophie Ceniza)
Contents of this tag:
1media/Book Splash Toyo_Kisen_Kaisha__Oriental_SteamShip_Company_Woman_with_a_fan.jpg2020-04-10T14:38:23-07:00Anne-Marie Maxwell326ac6eff123bb3f77fb517c66299be8b435b479The Rise of Tourism and the Era of Ocean Liners82image_header2020-11-17T15:03:07-08:00Tyson Gaskill93cb401bee8f73160b4c4378060de7643c42eee9
