Mid 20th Century Japanese Woodblock Print Fumees de Santal by Paul Jacoulet

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A Japanese Woodblock print by Paul Jacoulet (French, 1896-1960) entitled Fumees de Santal. Mandchoukuo (Sandelwood Smoke. Manchuria). Created in 1948, … Read more A Japanese Woodblock print by Paul Jacoulet (French, 1896-1960) entitled Fumees de Santal. Mandchoukuo (Sandelwood Smoke. Manchuria). Created in 1948, this is one of the most successful yoko-e (horizontal format) prints Paul Jacoulet ever made. The reclining female figure, dressed in elaborate Manchurian robe and headwear, conveys a lazy mood only a luxury life can provide. The smoke rising from the incense burner was blind printed to achieve a transparency and sharpness. The gauffrage (emboss) effect of the linked lucky coin pattern on the gown and the smoke is subtle but add dimension to the imagery.
This print was marked in plate by Jacoulet's signature and the red Mitsu-Tomoe seal. On the lower left margin, is the carver Maeda and printer Honda's seal. Bottom left margin has the printed title. The print is marked 166/350 verso. The notch cut in the corner of the paper represents a registration cut for aligning the paper during printing. The image size is 11.75" x 15.5".
Provenance: The Collection of Lucille Arnold Blanch, friend of Paul Jacoulet, and thence by descendants.
It should be noted that Jacoulet did not pulled the prints in the order of his edition number due to his complicated and eccentric numbering system.
Reference: No 95 "The Prints of Paul Jacoulet: A Complete Illustrated Catalog by Richard Miles.

An eccentric artist of his time, Paul Jacoulet was born in France but lived most his life in Japan. He is considered as one of the few western artists who have mastered the art of woodblock printing sufficiently to be recognized in Japan. Largely rooted in traditional Japanese woodblock printing techniques and ukiyo-e style, the artist developed a unique and recognizable style infused with his own aesthetic vision and technical approaches that set himself apart from Japanese artists. Nearly all portraits, Jacoulet depicted a wide range of people he encountered in his extensive travelling in the Far East as well as South Pacific. Often in their traditional outfits and surrounded by endogenous flora and props, his models often convey a more western sense of pose, with some directly confronting the viewers. Jacoulet occupies a special place in the world of ukiyo-e, the artist formed a bridge between the East and West. See less