<b>NIKORAI-DO (NIKOLAI CATHEDRAL)</b> / Unichi Hiratsuka1923<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.

The damaged Nikorai-do (Nikolai Cathedral) in Tokyo’s Kanda neighborhood became an icon of the devastation of the earthquake. During the quake, the main bell tower fell on the dome, resulting in its collapse. The sight of this imposing structure’s collapsed dome elicited a great response from documentarians and artists who were compelled to document this damage. In Hiratsuka’s composition, a great deal of attention is placed on the temporary structures and tents that lay before the cathedral while the summit of the design showcases the missing dome.

Prior to the earthquake, the cathedral was often depicted in the background of prints and illustrations. The pre-earthquake Koizumi print illustrated below illustrates the cathedral and its prominent dome within the city’s landscape.

Connoisseur's Note

Hiratsuka produced this series for the publisher Yamaguchi Hisayoshi of Hanga no ie. The print is the first state of the design with the publisher’s label on the reverse. Later impressions executed by the artist exist in differing colorations and lack the publisher’s label.