Fisherwomen and Child at Inage

Known for his cartoon A Party of Fishing satirizing the First Sino-Japanese War, Bigot moved to Japan in 1882, and his works spotlighting politics and unique Japanese customs were published in magazines and art books. Bigot traveled extensively throughout Japan and gathered material for his work, but he also established a studio in the resort area of Inage, Chiba next to Kaikikan, an inn popular among literary figures, and is believed to have lived there between 1892 and 1897. He took a keen interest in life along the seacoast in Inage, and frequently depicted fishermen. In this work, the torii gate of Inagesengen Shrine towers in the background on a coast that would later be reclaimed, with two women, looking away from the viewer, absorbed in their labors. (F.R.)