About This Print and the Series Seihō's Masterpieces
This print titled Ink Painting After the Rain was released was released on April 20, 1937 as part of the first of two sets of sixty-six prints titled Seihō's Masterpieces (a.k.a. Seihō's Masterworks) printed and issued by Unsōdō Publishing. This print, which is also in the Spencer Collection at the New York Public Library, was issued as one of three prints in the first envelope of set one. The colophon, shown below, pasted to the envelope, gives the dates of printing and issue, the titles of the prints, copyright information, and information about the publisher.
A combination of print processes (see further discussion see the article "Takeuchi Seihō: Seihō's Masterpieces.") were used for this series and this particular print is likely a lithograph, although the printing method needs to be confirmed.
Colophon Envelope 1 Set One
Date of issue reads Showa 12 (1937), 4th month, 20th day
Date of printing reads Showa 12 (1937), 4th month, 19th day
click on image to enlarge
Date of issue reads Showa 12 (1937), 4th month, 20th day
Date of printing reads Showa 12 (1937), 4th month, 19th day
click on image to enlarge
Seihō’s Masterworks - an elegy and a testament
For images of all sixty-six prints and a description of the series, please go to the article "Takeuchi Seihō: Seihō's Masterpieces."
Print Details
| IHL Catalog | #916 |
| Title | Ink Painting After the Rain (水墨雨後)  Across the top: 不許複製 All rights reserved Rightmost column: 竹内栖鳳先生筆 Takeuchi Seihō sensei hitsu with title of print 水墨雨後 to its left. Leftmost column: 芸艸堂 publisher's name Unsōdō, copyright restrictions and addresses of Unsōdō's offices in Kyoto and Tokyo. |
| Series | Seihō's Masterpieces (栖鳳逸品集 Seihō's ippin shū) (set 1) |
| Artist | Takeuchi Seihō (1864-1942) |
| Signature |  |
| Seal | unread seal as shown above |
| Publication Date | April 20, 1937 (as printed on colophon for envelope 1 containing the print) |
| Edition | original and only edition |
| Publisher | Unsōdō Publishing |
| Printer | Shinmi Saburō 新味 三朗 |
| Impression | excellent |
| Colors | excellent |
| Condition | fair - extensive foxing |
| Miscellaneous | removed from its original heavy paper backing/matting. |
| Genre | nihonga (also classed as e-hon, as the series prints exist as bound volumes) |
| Format | non-standard |
| H x W Paper and Image | 12 5/8 x 15 3/4 in. (32.1 x 40 cm) |
| Collections This Print | New York Public Library, Spencer Collection; Rijksmuseum RP-P-2005-615-12 |
| Reference Literature | The Artist and the Book in Japan, Roger S. Keyes, The University of Washington Press with New York Public Library, December 2006, p. 252-253; The Art of the Japanese Book, 2 vols., Jack Hillier, Sotheby's Publications, 1987, p. 992-993. |
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