There's more to life .................

Katshuhika Hokusai

(1760-1849) 

Finding recently this small 11.1 x 11.1 cm woodblock print by Hokusai "Traveller in a Palanquin- Hakone" 1810 (yes, there's more to life than German women printmakers alone) lead me to: 

"Exhaustive Illustrations of the Fifty-Three Stations of the Tôkaidô". 

All Stations, 53 amazing woodblock prints can be seen and enjoyed here: 

at Poul Webb's Blog Art & Artists: Katshuhika Hokusai - Part 6. 

His serie of 10 Parts showing the complete (woodblock) works by Hokusai in october 2014. Perfect for a rainy day !

It was ! Raining-pooring, August 16th 2015, writing this posting.
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A quick Google survey learns that most great Japanese printmakers depict traditional Palanquin bearers. There are many more examples to be found of course. It's always nice to learn and to see the context of a work of art. 

Hiroshige (1797 - 1858)

Hiroshige (1797-1858)

Ohara Shoson (1877 - 1945) 1910

Shotei, Takahashi (1871-1945)

All pictures borrowed freely from the internet(*) for friendly, educational and non commercial use only. 

(*) Ohmigallery & Fujiarts websites

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Visit my new Galerie Ondine 

Hokusai, could it be ?

 Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎), 

(1760 - 1849)

Japanese painter and woodblock printmaker

No no, be assured. I'm not sharing a post on what is considered the most celebrated woodblock printmaker of them all. His "Wave" and many "Views on Mount Fuji", are world famous, iconic and known to all of course, treated and discussed by ukiyo-e experts for a 100 years.

But Hukusai was a painter too, and a drawer and a sketcher. Books with his (and/or his school's) prolific work have survived time, so I've read. But searching for them on the internet delivering not many. Not nearly as many as his prints. Most of the paintings and drawings (I've found) are now treasured in museum collections.  

The reason for the interest and search was, always on the prowl, recently finding the watercolor drawing/painting with pencil notation: "by Hokusai (1760-1849)". I have no idea what the hatted man is doing with the barrel (or large pot). It is not signed and it bares no seal. So I have few illusions and many reservations. It came in a very refined and posh frame. Comparing it with the examples I've found: could it be ? The Wagtail print, which is signed and sealed, has very similar "snow" created by what looks like a tiny splash of water (or acid ?) 

Maybe an expert reader in time, stumbling over this posting, will tell me. Until then I'ld just like to believe ….. And besides, by Hokusai himself or not: I like it anyway.

  

All opinions, information and comments welcomed !

All pictures borrowed freely from the Internet for friendly, educational and non commercial use only.   

    

Kouen Okamoto: Snake Bridge

Kouen Okamoto

1912-1945

Japanese short lived printmaker.

The three miniature (9 x 6 cm.) prints by Okamoto shown in this posting are all I could find. They are half-postcard size. They show the bridge, shrine and pagoda at the Nikko temple complex in the heart of Japan. It’s one of Japans holy places and a National Treasure. 

If you’ld like to own a little true gem at a small price: unsigned but original  copies lately are on Ebay regularly. I couldn't resist, it has all a good print should have, atmosphere, design, originality and great colors. I mean: that's one hell of  shower ! Just compare his print with the ones below. I suppose Okamota’s short life (32) explains his very small output. On the other hand, Schubert had been extremely prolific in his 32 years on the planet as was Mozart in his only 34. Probably printmakers mature more slowly.  

left: contemporary, right: anno 1910 

center: in winter.

The sacred Shinkyo bridge ("Snake bridge") is the gateway to the temples and shrines built by the Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa, founder of the clan which ruled Japan for three centuries, from the 17th to the 19th century.

 left: Yoshitoshi (Taiso) Tsukicha (1834-1892) right: N.N. 

center: Toyohara Chikanoba (1838-1912)

Most of the Japanese classic printmakers created a print showing the Shinkyo bridge or one of the other structures in the complex. But the red lacquered bridge is understandably the most popular. 

left: Gihachiro Okuyama (1907-1981)             right: Hiroshi Yoshida (1876-1950)

left: Kishio Koizumi (1893-1945),         right: Tokuriki Tomichiro (1902-2000)

left: Hasui Kawase (1883-1957),      right: Yoshida Hiroshi (1876-1950), right

left and right: Koitsu Tsuchia (1870-1949) 

left:  Ito Yuhan (1867-1942)         right:  Shiro Kasamatsu (1898-1991)

Hiroaki Takahashi (1871-1945)

This posting wasn't supposed to be a summing up of all(?) Shinkyo Bridge prints but the occasion arisen I thought it great fun seeing so many of them together. I love pictures of bridges spanning rivers and passing through great cities. In old photographs, prints and paintings. I'm a Brangwyn follower. Impressive and connecting, always interesting because of the perspective, people and trafic.

All pictures in this posting embiggen by mouseclick by the way. And you should visit the great site of Artelino learning more about Japanese prints.

All pictures borrowed freely from the Internet for friendly and educational use only.

Koshiro Onchi

Koshiro Onchi

(1891-1955)

Japanese printmaker, poet,

 publicist, book designer.
Man of many talents.
Founding father of Sosaku Hanga*

today, as promised in before last posting, I'll try to show an overview of the many talents of this Japanese printmaker with the most relevant text borrowed from Floating World Gallery* (see end of posting). 

Born in Tokyo 1891, graduated in 1909 from the middle school for German studies in Tokyo and after failing examination to enter Daiichi Kotogakko (First High School), studied oil painting at Aoibashi branch of school of Hakubakai.

Onchi entered Tokyo School of Fine Arts in 1910, studying first oil painting and then sculpture. In 1911 he withdrew from the school and obtained a job as a book designer.In 1912 he was readmitted to Tokyo School of Fine Arts. In October 1913 he began planning the print and poetry magazine Tsukubae, created numerous abstract prints and directed publication of 7 issues 1914-1915.

Onchi contributed cover designs, poems, and moku-hanga, in 1917 Onchi published his first collection of prints, Happiness (Kofuku). In 1919 he participated in the first Nihon Sosaku-Hanga Kyokai exhibition and in 1921 began publication of the general art magazine Naizai with Otsuki Kenji and Fujimori Shizuo.

Over the years Onchi was also active in producing and promoting other poetry and print magazines to which he contributed poems, prints, graphic design, and articles promoting the idea that printmaking is a legitimate expressive and creative medium, not merely a means of reproduction.

By 1927 Onchi had established a reputation as a book designer. In 1928, in the wake of Lindbergh’s trans-atlantic flight, was engaged by a newspaper company to go up in a plane and record his impressions of flight. The resulting book: Sensations of Flight (Hiko kanno). 

The coffee house and the dance room 

He personally designed over 1,000 books for publishers creating suitable letters for the cover of each one and published several books of his own poems or prose with illustrations.

"In the theatre".

In 1949 he received the first prize offered in Japan for book design. In the midst of his busy professional career in 1938 he contributed to One Hundred Views of New Japan (Shin Nihon hyakkei).

A major force in the Sosaku-Hanga* movement and the leading abstract print artist of his time in Japan. Sometimes used the signature ONZI on early prints.

*Susaku Hanga, the movement in Japanese printmaking re-introducing "draw it yourself, cut  and print it yourself" away from the collaborative  printmaking of Ukiyo-E or "floating world" printmaking, where professional cutters and printmakers executed the design in a combined effort. The movement started with Kanae Yamamoto's (1887-1946) Fisherman of 1904, shown in the Blog here*.

For a detailed biography read here* and also: Merritt, Helen and Nanako Yamada. Guide to Modern Japanese Woodblock Prints: 1900-1975. University of Hawaii Press: Honolulu. 1992.

All pictures borrowed freely from the www. for friendly, educational, intellectual  non commercial use.