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Artist Spotlight #153 - Goyō Hashiguchi

Updated: Oct 22

October 21, 2024

Drawing of a woman in the shin-hanga style.
AI-Assisted Art| in the style of Goyō Hashiguchi, woman (Juggernaut XI)

Editor's note: These artist spotlights are part of a series of posts examining the intersection of AI with art. They include a brief summary of the artist generated by AI (but also checked for accuracy by a human) and images generated by AI "in the style" of the artist. They do NOT include actual images by the artist (other websites already do this much better than I could).


Goyō Hashiguchi (1880 - 1921)

Goyō Hashiguchi was a Japanese artist renowned for his contributions to the shin-hanga (new prints) movement, which sought to revive traditional ukiyo-e printmaking techniques with modern aesthetics. Though his career was brief, Goyō's exquisite woodblock prints, particularly his portraits of beautiful women (bijin-ga), have left a lasting impact on Japanese art.


Early Life

Born in Kagoshima, Japan, Goyō was the son of a samurai who was also skilled in painting. His artistic talents were nurtured from an early age, and he later studied at the prestigious Tokyo School of Fine Arts, where he trained under prominent Western-style painter Kuroda Seiki. This blend of Western and traditional Japanese training greatly influenced his development as an artist.


Artistic Style

Goyō is best known for his bijin-ga prints, which depict women with an emphasis on grace and elegance. His style is characterized by meticulous attention to detail, soft yet refined linework, and subtle color palettes. Goyō’s works combine the traditional techniques of ukiyo-e with a modern sensibility, reflecting both Japanese aesthetics and the influence of Western realism. His use of delicate shading and texture adds depth and dimensionality to his compositions, distinguishing his work within the shin-hanga movement.


Two women converse, in the style of shin-hanga
AI-Assisted Art| in the style of Goyō Hashiguchi, bijin-ga, shin-hanga (Flux Schnell)

Notable Works

Though Goyō produced only a few prints during his short career, his works are highly regarded. His most famous pieces include Woman Applying Powder (1918), Woman After Bathing (1920), and Woman in Summer Kimono (1920). Each of these prints exemplifies his mastery of capturing the serene beauty and elegance of his female subjects, rendered with precise craftsmanship.


Legacy

Goyō’s untimely death at the age of 41 cut short his promising career, yet his influence on Japanese printmaking endures. Despite creating only 14 prints, his works are celebrated for their refinement and artistry, and they helped to elevate the status of the shin-hanga movement internationally. Today, his prints are highly sought after by collectors and continue to be admired for their beauty and technical mastery.


This summary was written by The Artist Biography Writer, a GPT created by the editor in ChatGPT on October 21st, 2024. A human double-checked the factual assertions.


How well does AI "interpret" Goyō Hashiguchi?

Using "in the style of Goyō Hashiguchi" to create AI-Assisted images will likely produce shin-hanga images of women (bijin-ga). Considering that Goyō only left 14 prints, a miniscule sample size for AI, the AI models I have tested have done surprisingly well with this artist modifier.

Shin-hanga portrait of a woman.
AI-Assisted Art| in the style of Goyō Hashiguchi, bijin-ga, shin-hanga (RealVisXL v4 Lightning)

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