First Edition Woodblock Print Coucher de Soleil à Menado Celebes Paul Jacoulet

A Japanese Woodblock print by Paul Jacoulet (French, 1896-1960) entitled Coucher de Soleil à Menado, Celebes (Sunset in Menado, Celebes). Created in 1938, this is a first edition carved by Maeda and printed by Fujii and numbered 135/150 in Kanji verso.
The print, a tongue-in-cheek subversive reinterpretation of the controversial 1863 painting Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe by Edouard Manet (1832-1883), is one of the most well-received prints by the artist. The work depicts a couple posed under the sunset in their traditional attires; except that this time, the male, with his back facing toward the viewer, is scantily clothed. The female, posed frontal, struck a more traditionally male pose, while the male appeared coyer and more feminine. Devoid of metallic powders, the soft, pastel like color palette is seductively romantic. The sharply cut key block is set against an abstract background with eight impressions.
This print was marked in plate by Jacoulet's signature and the red Tea Jar Seal. On the right lower margin, is the carver and printer's seal Maeda and Fujii. Bottom right margin is the printed title. Marked 135/150 verso. Watermark of Jacoulet in the paper margin visible. 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".
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 53 "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.