<b>JEHOL IN WINTER</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.

From his home in Kyoto, Brown made excursions to China, Manchuria, and Korea. Of particular interest to him was Jehol, located in the northwest Chinese province of Hebei. The Chinese emperor Kangxi (1662–1723) had chosen Jehol as the site for an imperial summer palace because of its cool climate and natural beauty. 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. Brown also worked with the Adachi Institute and became their sole Western artist collaborator.

Jehol in Winter is one of four designs Brown created of this locale. This charming horizonal scene features the sprawling imperial palace nestled between the mountains under a substantial snow cover. A fan of architecture, Brown used great care in depicting the imperial complex with its diversity of buildings, both in stature and form, as well as their exotic colorations that stand in striking contrast to the surrounding snow.

Connoisseur's Note

During his time in Japan, Brown produced about two dozen woodblock prints through Watanabe and Adachi’s collaborations. Jehol in Winter is a rare work produced by the Adachi Foundation. Mostly known for high-quality Ukiyo-e reproductions, Adachi spared no expense at producing this original work by Brown. The print is executed on thick deluxe paper. The impression of the design is quite sharp and striking. The fine lines, bokashi, and blind printing make this exceptional design one of Brown’s most sought-after works.