<b>EL CAPITAN</b> / Hiroshi Yoshida1925<B>SOLD</B></em>
ARTIST: Hiroshi Yoshida (1876-1950)
TITLE: El Capitan
SERIES: North America
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1925
DIMENSIONS: 21 3/8 x 15 3/4 inches
CONDITION: Excellent, no problems to note
LITERATURE:Ogura, Yoshida Hiroshi Zenhangashu (The Complete Woodblock Prints of Hiroshi Yoshida), Abe Shuppan, Tokyo, 1987, pl. 40
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SOLD
ARTIST: Hiroshi Yoshida (1876-1950)
TITLE: El Capitan
SERIES: North America
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1925
DIMENSIONS: 21 3/8 x 15 3/4 inches
CONDITION: Excellent, no problems to note
LITERATURE:Ogura, Yoshida Hiroshi Zenhangashu (The Complete Woodblock Prints of Hiroshi Yoshida), Abe Shuppan, Tokyo, 1987, pl. 40
.
SOLD
ARTIST: Hiroshi Yoshida (1876-1950)
TITLE: El Capitan
SERIES: North America
MEDIUM: Woodblock print
DATE: 1925
DIMENSIONS: 21 3/8 x 15 3/4 inches
CONDITION: Excellent, no problems to note
LITERATURE:Ogura, Yoshida Hiroshi Zenhangashu (The Complete Woodblock Prints of Hiroshi Yoshida), Abe Shuppan, Tokyo, 1987, pl. 40
.
SOLD
Details
Hiroshi Yoshida began his career as an oil and watercolor painter. He traveled to the United States as early as 1899 and returned multiple times to exhibit his artwork and sightsee. An avid outdoorsman and hiker, Yoshida took full advantage of his travels, painting important natural treasures he visited—all executed in the field using the technique of plein air painting. Yoshida’s six woodblock prints from his North American series were all conceived during his early travels and produced from oil or watercolor paintings done on site, accounting 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 rises about 3,000 feet (900 m) from base to summit along its tallest face and is a popular location for rock climbers. Given Yoshida’s interest in mountaineering, it’s no surprise to 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, embodies everything one could desire in a print. The composition is realistic—El Capitan is depicted as one would find it while hiking, but the style is Yoshida’s unique blend of watercolor and oil painting translated into the language of woodblock prints. There is a robust market for prints with US designs, particularly those set in California, extending beyond the confines of the genre of Japanese prints.
This impression is an excellent early example of the design, exhibiting fresh, untouched colors. This print features Yoshida’s large red "Jizuri seal" as well as a brush and pencil signature, indicating it was produced under his strict supervision. The unusually bright and vivid colors suggest it is a rare trial printing, making this impression much more sought after than the regular issued version. As an early trial impression in excellent condition with a broad collecting base, it’s no surprise that "El Capitan" is one of Yoshida’s most sought-after works.
