Paul Jacoulet (French, 1902-1960), Jeune Fille de Saipan et Fleur d'Hibiscus, Marianes

Circa 1934, woodcut in colors with mica fleck background, signed in pencil together with a red fan seal at lower right, title printed in the bottom right margin, lower right margin with two vertical seals, sheet with Japanese kanji watermark to left margin, reverse side with red seal to lower left corner together with numbers written in pencil, presented loose.


18 x 14 in.

Collection of Michael and Ingrid Kelly, Worldwide Gallery Antiques, Fredericksburg, Virginia From the personal collection of antique gallery owners Michael and Ingrid Kelly who owned Worldwide Gallery Antiques, dealing with antiques for over sixty-five years, retiring to Fredericksburg, Virginia, where they filled their own residence with Asian and Belle Epoch fine arts and antiques.

Paul Jacoulet was a French woodblock print artist renowned for blending traditional Japanese ukiyo-e techniques with his own innovative style. Raised in Japan, he mastered Japanese culture, language, and the art of woodblock printing. Jacoulet traveled extensively throughout Asia and the Pacific, capturing portraits of indigenous people in their traditional attire and daily lives, making his work of both artistic and anthropological significance. He is recognized as one of the few Western artists to be acknowledged in Japan for his woodblock mastery. His prints, known for their vibrant colors, elaborate detail, and large format, often utilized techniques like embossing, lacquers, mica, metal pigments, and powdered semi-precious stones. Jacoulet employed highly skilled Japanese craftsmen, often crediting them in the margins of his prints. His work gained international acclaim after World War II, attracting collectors such as General Douglas MacArthur, Greta Garbo, and Queen Elizabeth II. Today, Jacoulet's prints remain highly sought after by collectors worldwide.

Even light toning to paper; mat burn evident in margin; pinholes to left upper and lower corners; lower right corner with loss.