<b>ON THE DECK</b> / Kanae Yamamoto1912<b>SOLD</b></em>

Details

This work is based on a sketch Kanae Yamamoto produced on a ship on his way to Europe. The print was executed once he arrived in Europe and shipped back to Japan to his subscribers. This subscription enabled the young Yamamoto to finance his travels in Europe.

The design depicts a woman on a boat’s deck looking out toward the water. The bright sunlight is hitting the water at such an angle that light reflected floods the boat’s deck and this scene. Yamamoto captures the light’s reflection through the use of a coarsely carved block inked in blue that is overprinted onto the design. This early Sosaku Hanga demonstrates its pedigree with a design that does not contain a black key-block outline. Rather, the image is built-up by color blocks printed on top of each other. This highly creative technique was radical at the time and lent itself to expressively potent works, which the Sosaku Hanga genre is well known to have produced.

Connoisseur's Note

This rarely offered woodblock print is among Yamamoto’s most celebrated designs. Museums whose interest is orientated towards Sosaku Hanga all highlight this design in their collections. Given this print was originally produced in Europe in a limited number for a shortlist of subscribers back in Japan, this design is currently known in only a few impressions surviving in private hands, making it exceedingly difficult to acquire. This particular impression is in an outstanding state of preservation—simply a must have for the dedicated Sosaku Hanga collector.