<b>RIVER</b> / Tadashige Ono20th Century<b>SOLD</b></em>

Details

Ono Tadashige was a prominent sosaku hanga artist and scholar of 20th-century Japanese prints. Ono’s early prints were deeply rooted in the social-critical movement of German expressionism and the art trend dominating within Russia and among critical intellectual circles in China. Ono’s later work saw a lessened proletarian engagement, but the artist’s interest in cityscapes and the newly industrialized face of Japan remained a constant theme throughout his career.

The striking sky-blue pigment in this design is a hint at the true subject in this smaller composition. Though the design is populated by Ono’s typical inhabitants—the various structures that lay claim to the composition of any city—this work’s true focus, as the title suggests, is the river. Being an inhabitant of Tokyo, near the Sumida River, Ono knew full well the importance of any river to its city. It provides its inhabitants with the much-needed resources used in industry, a river’s water supply is the lifeblood of any thriving metropolis. This small but striking work by Ono pays homage to a vital component of industrialized civilization.

Connoisseur's Note

This work is in excellent condition and retains the original backing sheet used by the artist to title, date, and sign his work.