<b>SAILING BOAT, FORENOON</b> / Hiroshi Yoshida1925$18,000</em>

Details

A sailboat out in the Sea of Japan is greeted by the light at the height of day, as its calm waters erupt in an interplay of light and shadow, broadcasting the boat’s reflection in silhouette below. The junk’s deployed sails shield the viewer from the light of midday while two junks in silhouette move across the composition at the horizon.

Captivated by light, Hiroshi Yoshida’s "Sailing Boat, Forenoon" serves as a detailed study of its effects in the print medium. Much in the tradition of Monet’s Haystacks, Yoshida produced six different finished prints, all sharing the exact printing blocks but inked with differing colors, showcasing the same subject at different times of the day. This series was a smashing success for the young artist. It was one of the highlights of the famed Toledo exhibition of 1930 and garnered him attention and acclaim from both collectors and critics at a critical time, propelling his career forward and helping establish Yoshida as one of the top landscape artists of the Shin Hanga movement.

Connoisseur's Note

This early work bears the large jizuri seal with the artist's handwritten title and signature in pencil. The print is in excellent condition and has fresh and vivid colors.

Despite the success of the "Sailing Boat" designs, the artist did not produce large quantities of prints. The expense associated with the larger size of the design so early in his career kept production at a minimum. This design is among the most desirable from the sailboat series and an icon of Shin Hanga.