<b>EL CAPITAN</b> / Hiroshi Yoshida1925<b>SOLD</b></em>
ARTIST: Hiroshi Yoshida (1876-1950)
TITLE: El Capitan
SERIES: North America
MEDIUM: Woodblock
DATE: 1925
DIMENSIONS: 15 3/4 X 10 1/2 inches
CONDITION: No condition problems to note
LITERATURE: Ogura, Yoshida Hiroshi zenhangashu (The Complete Woodblock Prints of Hiroshi Yoshida), Abe Shuppan, Tokyo, 1987, pl. 10
SOLD
ARTIST: Hiroshi Yoshida (1876-1950)
TITLE: El Capitan
SERIES: North America
MEDIUM: Woodblock
DATE: 1925
DIMENSIONS: 15 3/4 X 10 1/2 inches
CONDITION: No condition problems to note
LITERATURE: Ogura, Yoshida Hiroshi zenhangashu (The Complete Woodblock Prints of Hiroshi Yoshida), Abe Shuppan, Tokyo, 1987, pl. 10
SOLD
ARTIST: Hiroshi Yoshida (1876-1950)
TITLE: El Capitan
SERIES: North America
MEDIUM: Woodblock
DATE: 1925
DIMENSIONS: 15 3/4 X 10 1/2 inches
CONDITION: No condition problems to note
LITERATURE: Ogura, Yoshida Hiroshi zenhangashu (The Complete Woodblock Prints of Hiroshi Yoshida), Abe Shuppan, Tokyo, 1987, pl. 10
SOLD
Details
Hiroshi Yoshida started his career as an oil and watercolor painter. He traveled to the US as early as 1899 and returned multiple times to exhibit his artwork as well as sightsee. An avid outdoorsman and hiker, Yoshida took full advantage of his travels and painted the important natural treasures he visited—all executed in the field, utilizing the technique of plein air painting. Yoshida’s six woodblock prints from his North American series were all conceived on one of his early travels and produced from oil or watercolor paintings done on site which account for the strong realism in the designs, a quality rarely encountered in Japanese prints.
El Capitan (Spanish for The Captain or The Chief) is a vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park, located on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The granite monolith is about 3,000 feet (900 m) from base to summit along its tallest face, and is a popular location for rock climbers. With Yoshida’s interest in mountaineering, it’s no surprise we find this dramatic design among his North American prints.
Connoisseur's Note
The dramatic subject rendered in serene earth tones with a quiet reflecting pool has everything one would want in a print. The composition is realistic—El Capitan is depicted as you would find it if you see it on a hiking trail, but the style is Yoshida’s own blend of watercolor and oil painting translated into the language of woodblock prints. There is a robust market for prints with US designs, particularly ones set in California, extending beyond the confines of the genre of Japanese prints.
This impression is an excellent example of the design. Exhibiting fresh, untouched colors, the print looks like it could have been created today. This print features Yoshida’s “Jizuri seal,” as well as a brush and pencil signature, indicating it was produced under his strict supervision. As a stunning work in excellent condition with a much larger collecting base, it’s no surprise that El Capitan is one of Yoshida’s most sought-after works.
