Daikoku, Dieu La Richesse Personnifie Par Une Courtisane Du Shimabara. Kyoto, Japon 1952

Paul Jacoulet made this print called ‘Daikoku, Dieu La Richesse Personnifie Par Une Courtisane Du Shimabara. Kyoto, Japon’ without a specified date, but likely in the first half of the 20th century. It is a celebration of flat colour and pattern, and is wonderfully vivid. I imagine Jacoulet, a non-Japanese artist working in Japan, completely falling in love with the woodblock aesthetic and deciding to just go for it. It feels so inspired by the subject matter, of course. It's as though the artist sought to represent her beauty and dignity, and the richness of her clothes. Look at the red kimono, covered in flowers, diamonds, and waves, and the incredible, saturated yellow background! The detail is amazing, from the hair ornaments to the box she holds delicately in her hands. You know, making a painting or print is an offering to the world, and this one feels like a real gift. It reminds me of Bonnard who was also a printmaker. Artists are always in conversation across time, inspiring each other. I love the mystery and embrace the ambiguity that emerges in the ongoing conversation of artists.