Mid 20th Century Japanese Woodblock Print Le Mandarin Aux Lunettes by Paul Jacoulet

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A Japanese Woodblock print by Paul Jacoulet (French, 1896-1960) entitled Le Mandarin Aux Lunettes. Mandchoukuo (The Mandarin with Glasses, Manchuria). … Read more A Japanese Woodblock print by Paul Jacoulet (French, 1896-1960) entitled Le Mandarin Aux Lunettes. Mandchoukuo (The Mandarin with Glasses, Manchuria). Created in 1950, part of Dedication set, the print was prepared in the 30s but due to its technical complexity that is comparable to print like Les Perles, it was too expensive to print and put off until 1950s at the zenith of Jacoulet's career and finance. The print was lavishly and profusely decorated with costly materials including silver, gold, bronze as well as pink pearl powder mica powders (the rim of the glasses), in addition to shades of grey and urushi.
This print was carved by Maeda and printed by Onodera, whose seals are on the lower right margin. Signed in plate by the artist and stamped with his red Mandarin Duck seal. It was marked PJ red stamp simple version verso, indicating it may be an artist proof print. The notch cut in the corner of the paper represents a registration cut for aligning the paper during printing.

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 106 "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