Japanese Woodblock Print Le Sculpteur de Tokobuei Mers du Sud by Paul Jacoulet

A Japanese Woodblock print by Paul Jacoulet (French, 1896-1960) entitled Le Sculpteur de Tokobuei Mers du Sud (The Tokobuei Sculptor South Seas). Created in 1954, this scarce print has an edition of 350 with fewer than 50 impression realized. Several new pigments were used in making this print including a new shade of cranberry vegetable red dye and a new shade of blue. The sensitively rendered carver is seen completely engrossed in his work while being in a wonderful and nearly distractingly beautiful setting.
This print was marked in plate by Jacoulet's signature and the red Peony seal. On the left lower margin, is the carver Maeda and printer Onodera. Bottom left margin is the printed title. The back is marked with Jacoulet's red seal of elaborate version. The paper also bears the watermark of the artist. The image size is 11.75" x 15.5" and it comes with a mat but not framed.
Reference: No 136 "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.