<b>AFTER THE KANTO EARTHQUAKE</b> / Tomoo Inagaki1923<b>SOLD</b></em>

Details

The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, a catastrophic event in Japanese history, profoundly impacted the realms of photography and printmaking. In its aftermath, photographers documented the widespread destruction, capturing haunting images of the devastation and human resilience, reflecting a new era of social consciousness and realism in Japanese photography. The disaster also played a pivotal role in revitalizing traditional woodblock printmaking, inspiring artists to create powerful and emotionally charged prints that depicted the earthquake's aftermath, offering a bridge between the past and present by blending traditional techniques with contemporary subject matter. This seismic event thus left an indelible mark on Japanese art, pushing it towards greater social engagement and a fusion of modern and traditional artistic sensibilities.

A group of Western-style buildings are shown without their rooftops. Upon closer inspection, the structures are mere shells, revealing only the remains of outer stone walls. This design depicts the Nyosuikan building after the earthquake. The artist elected to impart an active and visible hand in carving this composition's block. The technique, inspired by the founder of Sosaku Hanga, Yamamoto Kanae, effectively creates a feeling of turbulence and uneasiness. The carving’s spontaneous feel invokes a slight disorientation that one might have experienced while walking through this horrific landscape. The overprinting of blue suggests movement, echoing the earthquake's unsettling gesture, as well as evoking the wafting smoke from the fire that consumed the contents of the structure.

Connoisseur's Note

As a resident of Tokyo, Inagaki experienced first-hand the devastating impact of this calamity. His artwork from this time is an important historical record and a significant contribution to Sosaku Hanga. The artist’s work from this period is exceedingly rare. Due to the subject matter, the artist did not produce these designs for commercial purposes, and only a limited number of impressions were produced.