<b>ALBUM OF THE GREAT KANTO EARTHQUAKE & COLLECTED ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE</b> / 1923<b>SOLD</b></em>

Details

The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, a catastrophic event in Japanese history, profoundly impacted the realms of photography and printmaking. In its aftermath, photographers documented the widespread destruction, capturing haunting images of the devastation and human resilience, reflecting a new era of social consciousness and realism in Japanese photography. The disaster also played a pivotal role in revitalizing traditional woodblock printmaking, inspiring artists to create powerful and emotionally charged prints that depicted the earthquake's aftermath, offering a bridge between the past and present by blending traditional techniques with contemporary subject matter. This seismic event thus left an indelible mark on Japanese art, pushing it towards greater social engagement and a fusion of modern and traditional artistic sensibilities.

These two volumes contain reproductions of drawings, paintings, and illustrations produced by a variety of Japanese artists across all genres. Artists represented are Nakazawa Hiromitsu (1874-1964), Niwa Reisuke (1880-1951), Hata Tsuneharu (1883-1944), Akagi Yasunobu (1889-1955), Mizushima Niou (1884-1958), Kato Gisuke, Akatsuka Tadakazu, Shimizu Yoshiomi, Shimizu Yoshiyasu, Susukida Kiyoshi,  Mizushima Niou (1884-1958); with 25 pages of black and white illustrations of sketches and paintings by 15 artists, in addition to Niou, works by Ikebe Hitoshi (1886-1969), Ikeda Eiji (1889-1950), Hittori Ryoei (1887-1955), Ogawa Jihei (1887-1925), Terauchi Kunitsu, Hosokibara Seiki (1885-1958), Nakanishi Ritsugoro, Maekawa Senpan (1888-1960), Arita Shigeru, Miyao Shigeo (1902-1982), Shimokawa Hekoten (1892-1973), Shishido Sakou (1888-1969), Morishima Naozou, and Mori Kazan.

Connoisseur's Note

Dozens of publications were produced highlighting the devastation caused by the earthquake and the ensuing fires. As works of ephemera, the vast majority of these publications have been lost to time. This publication is also noteworthy for the haunting color illustrations on its front covers. Its fine state of preservation makes this publication quite scarce and an important historical artifact.