Munakata Shikō: Flowers Falling Down; Female Nude

A female figure is naked save for a lobed crown; her body is turned away and upside down, yet her visage is tilted upward. Her limbs are confined by the space of the woodblock, and her left arm intersects with her left foot. There are flowers between her left arm and her torso. Hand-colored by the artist from the back of the print, as was his working method. Works by this artist are often sealed but not signed. Munakata is one of the towering figures of the 20th century Japanese self-carved/self-printed movement. He was a student of Unichi Hiratsuka. The same year as this work, 1952, Munakata was awarded first prize at the Lugano Print Exhibition.