Lady Kesa from kuchie (frontispiece) of a novel 1896 - 1916

Tomioka Eisen made this print, Lady Kesa, as a frontispiece for a novel, and right away I’m struck by how he captured the moment of art-making as a process. Look at the way the ink bleeds and pools, especially in her hair, and how the lines of her kimono are soft, not precise. There’s an incredible tenderness in this image. The colors are muted, almost faded, giving it a dreamlike quality. Her hair, such a deep, glossy black, contrasts with the pale skin of her face and neck. Notice the few strands escaping? It’s a small detail, but it humanizes her, making her less of an ideal and more of an individual. Then, behind her is a screen with a painted landscape; Eisen isn’t giving us a window onto the real world, but one removed. This piece reminds me of Whistler, who also sought to capture fleeting moments and subtle moods in his work. Art is always in conversation with itself; it’s less about answers and more about the questions it provokes.