Goyō Hashiguchi

Key facts

Lived

1880–1921, Japanese

Movement

• Ukiyo-e

1. 1915Painted "Woman After Bath" aged 35.
2. 1918Painted "Woman Applying Powder" aged 38.
3. 1918Painted "Rain at Yabakei" aged 38.
4. 1920Painted "Young Woman in Summer Kimono" aged 40.
5. 1920Painted "Beauty in Long Undergarment" aged 40.

• What is Goyō Hashiguchi known for?+

  Goyō Hashiguchi is known for his bijin-ga (beautiful women) prints. His prints are noted for their delicate colouring and psychological subtlety.
• What is Goyō Hashiguchi's most famous work?+

  It is difficult to name Goyō Hashiguchi's single "most famous work". He left behind a collection of excellent pieces, several of which are considered national treasures. Among his noted works are Waves, a slightly coloured piece on paper, mounted as a kakemono in 28 pieces. It belonged to the Kongō-ji temple, near Kyoto, and is now held at the Tokyo Imperial Household Museum. Another is Peony and Peacock, richly coloured on silk and mounted as a kakemono. This work belongs to the Emman-in, in Ōtsu city. Hashiguchi also produced Pictures illustrating Good Fortune and Misfortune, coloured on paper and mounted as three scrolls, also owned by the Emman-in. He is known for Landscapes, Seven Wise Men in the Bamboo Grove, and Tigers and Cranes, painted in black and white on ninety large paper surfaces of the walls and sliding screens in the rooms of the Sho-in at Te Koto-hira-gū Shrine, in Sanuki province. Another similar work is Landscapes, Peacocks, and Chinese Saints, painted in colours or in black on twenty-eight paper surfaces of the wall and sliding screens in the rooms of the Sho-in at Te Daijō-ji monastery near the Kasumi station.
• What should I know about Goyō Hashiguchi's prints?+

  Goyō Hashiguchi (1880-1921) was an artist and printmaker of the Shin-Hanga movement, which updated traditional Japanese art for early 20th-century audiences. "Shin-Hanga" means "New Prints". Born in Kagoshima Prefecture, Hashiguchi initially trained as a painter, studying Western-style art. His early career included designing posters and illustrating books. He developed an interest in ukiyo-e prints, and he sought to revive the traditional techniques. Hashiguchi's prints often feature female figures, particularly beautiful women (bijin-ga), in a style that blends realism with classical Japanese aesthetics. He was meticulous about all aspects of production. He closely supervised the carvers and printers to ensure the quality of the final product. His active printmaking career was brief, beginning around 1915 and ending with his early death from illness in 1921. The prints created during this short period are highly regarded. His known output is small; the catalogue raisonné of his prints lists only fourteen designs. Some of his best-known works include "Woman Combing Her Hair" and "Hot Spring Hotel". After his death, his brothers oversaw the printing of some designs from his blocks.
• What style or movement did Goyō Hashiguchi belong to?+

  Goyō Hashiguchi (1880-1921) is associated with the Shin-Hanga (New Print) movement in Japan. This artistic movement, which gained momentum in the early 20th century, sought to revitalise traditional Ukiyo-e woodblock printing techniques while incorporating Western influences and modern aesthetics. Shin-Hanga artists like Goyō collaborated with skilled artisans, including block carvers and printers, to produce prints that often featured traditional Japanese subjects, such as beautiful women (bijin-ga), actors (yakusha-e), and birds-and-flowers (kachō-e). However, they also explored new themes and styles, incorporating elements of realism, perspective, and chiaroscuro learned from Western art. Goyō's involvement in Shin-Hanga was relatively brief, but significant. He was a perfectionist who insisted on the highest standards of quality in every aspect of print production. He closely supervised the carving and printing processes to achieve the desired effects. Although his life and career were cut short by illness, Goyō's prints are highly regarded for their technical excellence and artistic sensitivity. They continue to be admired by collectors and enthusiasts of Japanese prints worldwide.
• What techniques or materials did Goyō Hashiguchi use?+

  Goyō Hashiguchi is best known for his contributions to the Shin-hanga art movement, which revitalised traditional Japanese printmaking techniques. He was involved in every stage of the printmaking process. This included sketching, drawing, and collaborating closely with artisans. Goyō's prints often began with detailed sketches from nature. He paid close attention to light and shadow. These sketches formed the basis for his designs. Skilled carvers then translated his designs onto woodblocks, often using multiple blocks to achieve the desired colours and effects. The printing process itself involved layering colours using these woodblocks. Each block applied a separate colour to the paper. This required careful alignment and registration to ensure a crisp, accurate final image. Goyō experimented with different types of paper and inks to achieve particular textures and colourations. He often used a technique called "bokashi", a subtle gradation of colour achieved by carefully wiping the ink on the woodblock. This added depth and atmosphere to his prints.
• What was Goyō Hashiguchi known for?+

  Goyō Hashiguchi (1880-1921) is known as a key figure in the Shin-Hanga (New Print) movement. This early 20th-century artistic moment sought to revitalise traditional Ukiyo-e woodblock printing. Ukiyo-e, meaning "pictures of the floating world", became popular from the 17th century. These woodblock prints often depicted everyday life, such as geisha, kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers, and townscapes. Ukiyo-e prints were affordable art for the masses. They also influenced Western art movements, including Impressionism and Art Nouveau. Hashiguchi's work maintained the Ukiyo-e aesthetic, but incorporated more modern techniques and sensibilities. He aimed to produce art of a higher quality than the commercialised and sometimes derivative works of late Ukiyo-e. Although his career was short, due to his early death, he produced some iconic images of women.
• When did Goyō Hashiguchi live and work?+

  Goyō Hashiguchi was born on 21 December 1880 and died on 24 February 1921. He was a Japanese artist and printmaker who worked during the late Meiji and Taishō periods. Hashiguchi's artistic career was relatively short, as he died at the age of 40. Despite this, he is known for his contributions to the Shin-hanga art movement. This movement revitalised traditional ukiyo-e printmaking. Shin-hanga combined traditional techniques with Western influences. It focused on producing prints for export to Western audiences. Hashiguchi's work often depicted women, landscapes, and scenes from everyday life. His prints are characterised by their delicate lines, subtle colours, and realistic portrayal of subjects. He aimed to capture the beauty and essence of Japanese culture in his art.
• Where can I see Goyō Hashiguchi's work?+

  Goyō Hashiguchi's prints are held in numerous public and private collections. These include museums in Japan, the United States, and Europe. In Japan, the Tokyo National Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Gifu, hold significant collections of his work. The Honolulu Museum of Art has a substantial collection, including his print "Woman Combing Her Hair" (1920). The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York also possesses several Goyō prints. European collections include the British Museum in London, which holds a number of his designs. The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam also has examples of his prints. Major exhibitions of Goyō's work have been held at these and other institutions, increasing public access to his art. Auction houses such as Christie's and Sotheby's occasionally offer his prints, providing another avenue for viewing and acquiring his work. Catalogues raisonnés and scholarly publications also offer detailed documentation and images of his complete oeuvre. These resources can help locate specific works and their current locations.
• Who did Goyō Hashiguchi influence?+

  Goyō Hashiguchi died young, but the woodblock printing technique he used experienced a revival in the 20th century with the Sōsaku Hanga (Creative Print) movement. This movement saw a new generation of artists embrace printmaking as an artistic method, rather than simply a means of reproduction. Two well-known artists of this period were Onchi Kōshirō (1891-1955) and Munakata Shikō (1903-1975). They replaced the traditional division of labour, where the artist only created the design, by becoming artist-printmakers competent in all processes. This inevitably changed some printmaking methods. While some time-consuming tasks were simplified, the quality of the medium was maintained. Traditional materials were still used, and the new way of working revived some of the lost spirit of ukiyo-e. In the post-war period, artists including Miyashita Tokio, Funasaka Yoshisuke, and Kurosaki Akira experimented with mixing woodblock with etching and screenprint, which further broadened the range of the traditional technique.
• Who influenced Goyō Hashiguchi?+

  It is difficult to identify specific influences on Goyō Hashiguchi. However, one can examine the influences on artists who were, in turn, influential upon Goyō. Juan Bautista Maíno, for example, arrived in Toledo, Spain, already familiar with Italian art. Even so, he adopted spatial and compositional ideas from his older colleague, El Greco. Maíno's principal connection is with Caravaggio, whose innovations he brought to Spain. Maíno's appreciation for the natural world is a cornerstone of Spanish painting during its Golden Age. In Maíno's 1612 altarpiece for the Dominican convent of San Pedro Martír in Toledo, called *Adoration of the Shepherds*, the angels recall Caravaggio. The composition also has an affinity with El Greco. The figures appear to inhabit a shallow space just behind the picture plane. This is an un-Italian effect connected with the example of El Greco.
• Who was Goyō Hashiguchi?+

  Goyō Hashiguchi (1880-1921) was a Japanese artist and printmaker. Born in Kagoshima Prefecture, he is known for his contributions to the Shin-Hanga art movement, which revitalised traditional woodblock printing techniques. Hashiguchi initially trained as a painter, studying Western-style art in Tokyo. However, he later became interested in ukiyo-e and Japanese art. He collaborated with the publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō, who was a key figure in the Shin-Hanga movement. Although his career was short due to his early death at the age of 41, Hashiguchi produced a number of notable prints, mainly of female figures. These works demonstrate a blend of traditional Japanese aesthetics and Western influences, characterised by their refined lines and subtle colours. His prints are highly regarded for their beauty and technical skill.
• Why are Goyō Hashiguchi's works important today?+

  Goyō Hashiguchi (1880-1921) was a Japanese artist of the late Meiji and Taishō periods. He is now mainly known for his woodblock prints, although he was also a skilled painter and book designer. His prints are important because they represent a late, refined stage of the *ukiyo-e* tradition and also because they helped to revive interest in traditional printmaking. Hashiguchi initially worked as an artist and designer for various publications. He became involved in the *shin-hanga* ("new prints") movement, which sought to revitalise *ukiyo-e* by incorporating Western techniques and perspectives, while maintaining traditional methods of production. His best-known prints often depict beautiful women (*bijin-ga*) in a style that blends realism with a sense of elegance. Unlike earlier *ukiyo-e* artists, Hashiguchi was deeply involved in the production of his prints, closely supervising the carvers and printers to ensure the highest quality. He was a perfectionist, and this attention to detail is evident in the finished works. He died relatively young, at the age of 41, but his prints continue to be admired by collectors and enthusiasts.