<b>GINZA IN THE SNOW</b> / Peter Irwin Brown1937<B>SOLD</B></em>

Details

Peter Irwin Brown was a Dutch artist with a strong desire to see the world. He traveled throughout Europe and Northern African. He was particularly fond of Tunisia, spending several months there, inspiring dozens of paintings of this locale throughout his career. His travels were supported mainly through artistic freelance work. In 1934, Brown visited Japan. He was immediately struck by the beauty and history inherent in the Japanese landscape. He wrote:

In Kyoto, I saw Japanese prints all over the place. My own house late at night against the moon was a print. The temples harmoniously interwoven with the shapely pines were prints. The women in kimono walking along the river under the weeping willows were old prints.

In 1935 Brown made the acquaintance of Watanabe Shozaburo and sold him several drawings and paintings of Japanese subjects which the Shin Hanga publisher used as the basis for woodblock prints.

Ginza in the Snow is one of the designs Brown created for Watanabe. This charming horizontal scene features a series of figures making their way through Ginza in the snow. Set in one of Tokyo’s most popular areas for shopping and nightlife, in Brown’s composition, Ginza’s usual lively pulse has been significantly slowed by the mounting snow and wind. Though sparse, the expertly drafted asymmetrical composition rendered in tones of gray effectively conveys the beauty and challenges the snow posed to the city’s inhabitants. The design’s elegance and artistic potency recall the black and white woodcuts of Felix Vallotton.

Connoisseur's Note

The print is executed on thick deluxe paper. The impression of the design is quite sharp and striking and features embossing throughout the composition. Brown’s Watanabe designs are quite scarce, and this snow scene is among his most charming and sought-after designs.