<b>HONG KONG HARBOR, NIGHT</b> / Elizabeth Keith1924<b>SOLD</b></em>

Details

 Elizabeth Keith first traveled to Tokyo when she was 28 and remained there for eight years. While in Japan, she produced paintings and watercolors of her travels in Asia. Exhibiting her work to much acclaim, Keith quickly attracted the eye of Watanabe Shozaburo, the Shin Hanga publisher, who hired the artist to produce designs for his woodblock print studio. Hong Kong Harbor is considered Keith's supreme masterpiece and among the most essential woodblock prints produced by Watanabe's shop.

Keith charms the viewer in this design with a glimpse of old Hong Kong. Under the spell of night, her masterful design, backlit with the last rays of day, is animated with the flickering lights of the mountain village behind. At the same time, the older styled junks skip along the water, meandering between shadows, glistening reflections, and the faint retreating light. The composition is tight and busy but is surprisingly balanced by Keith's masterful use of light, which appears to move freely throughout the piece.

Connoisseur's Note

 Hong Kong Harbor is Keith's most sought-after print and rarely comes up for sale in this fine state of preservation. The print is oversized, and due to its striking and sizable composition, the vast majority of these prints were framed. Unfortunately, most have lost a significant portion of their original vibrancy and coloration. The print is in a pristine state of preservation and appears as fresh and vibrant as the day it was printed.