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Ashita (Tomorrow!) from the series Yumeji's Masterpieces

Koka no Omoide (The Old Refrain) from the series Yumeji's Masterpieces

Japanese Color Woodblock Print 

Ashita (Tomorrow!)

from the series Yumeji’s Materpieces

by Takehisa Yumeji, 1938-1939

(after an earlier 1925 design)

Ura no Akekure (Day In, Day Out, At a Bay) from the series Yumeji's Masterpieces

IHL Cat. #1587

About This Print

One of a number of posthumous prints created from Yumeji's illustrations by the Tokyo-based publisher Katō Junji.  This design appeared on the below 1925 cover of the musical score for the song Morgen! [Opus 27, Number 4] by the German composer Richard Strauss (1864-1949) published by Senow Ongaku Shuppansha.

The inscription in the bottom right corner of the print reads 独乙古版画」より 夢二冩 which translates into English as "from an old German print, Yumeji copied."

竹久夢二 《セノオ楽譜 no.281「あした 」》1925

About the Series "Yumeji's Masterpieces"

Source: Takehisa Yumeji, Nozomi Naoi, et. al., Brill, 2015, p. 133, p. 135.

"The majority of Yumeji’s woodblock-printed designs were released after his death in 1934.  The publisher who was instrumental in having Yumeji’s work recognized was the Tokyo-based Katō Junji (1885-1961).  During the late 1930s and early 1940s.  Katō and his team of artisan block-cutters and printers at the Katō Print Workshop (Katō Print Workshop) (Katō Hanga Kenkyūjo) reused and recalled numerous famous paintings, music scores and watercolours for series of prints and postcards."

"The thirty woodblock prints in this set are a selection of the most popular cover designs from the over 270 that the artist produced of Seno music scores.  Katō Junji personally compiled the set and it reflects what he believed was representative of Yumeji’s artistic diversity, ranging from the portrayal of beautiful women and landscapes to this fascination with Western artistic styles."

Print Details

 IHL Catalog #1587
 Title
 Tomorrow! [Morgen!]
 Ashita あした - as written in the middle of the left margin
 Series
 Yumeji’s Masterpieces
 夢二名作集 Yumeji meisakushū
 Artist
 Takehisa Yumeji (1884-1934)
 Signature
 独乙古版画」より from an old German print
 夢二冩 Yumeji copied
 Seal
not sealed
 Publication Date originally 1938-1939
 Edition unknown - prints from the series were reprinted an unknown number of times during the life of the publisher
 Publisher
 Katō Junji 加藤潤二 [Katō Hanga Kenkyūjo]
 copyright owned by Hanken shoyū Katō Junji  版権i所有  加藤潤二 - as printed in left margin
 Impression excellent
 Colors excellent
 Condition excellent -  drying hole upper left margin; two mounting remnants verso top
 Genre fukusei hanga
 Miscellaneous
 Format ōban
 H x W Paper 12 7/8 x 9 15/16 in. (32.7 x 25.2 cm)
 H x W Image 10 11/16 x 8 5/8   in. (27.1 x 21.9 cm)
 Collections This Print
 Reference Literature
Takehisa Yumeji, Nozomi Naoi, et. al., Brill, 2015, cat. 72, p. 140.