<b>GATE OF PEKING</b> / Bernard Leach1918<b>SOLD</b></em>

Details

Born in Hong Kong, British artist Bernard Leach is most often remembered as a potter. However, among print aficionados, whose focus is early twentieth-century prints, Leach’s work represents an evocative and pioneering force that was the source of inspiration to dozens of early Japanese printmakers.

Leach’s engagement with printmaking occurred in London at the London School of Art, where he studied painting and printmaking under Frank Brangwyn. Having the desire to return to Asia, Leach traveled to Japan and China in 1909–1920, where he aimed to teach the art form and gain inspiration from the idyllic and romantic settings of his childhood.

Leach’s arrival in Japan came at an auspicious time. The spirit of this era gave birth to the Sosaku Hanga movement: burgeoning Japanese artists aspired to take up printmaking and self-produce work that satisfied their artistic aims. Leach exhibited and sold his printed work at small art exhibitions and gatherings, which attracted the attention of the well-known Japanese artist Ryūsei Kishida and influenced dozens of others. Tomimoto Kenkichi, Santomi Ton, Oda Kazuma, Junzo Kon, Sekino Junichiro, and Takeo Takei all indicate Leach as an artistic influence.

Printed work from Leach’s time in Asia possesses a directness that reflects an open engagement with the native cultures. Perhaps Leach’s childhood in Asia granted him the ease to work and travel in locales that were strikingly foreign to Westerners.

Peking’s towering gate stands at the center of the composition while its inhabitants are actively engaged in their daily routines. The design features a woman carrying water while other villagers move in or out of the city’s gates. The scene is busy, almost chaotic, as one would expect to find this vital port of entry.

 It’s clear the artist aimed to document what he saw, but his design goes further. The work is a symphony of energetic lines that build up the scene and charge it with energy and emotion. The artist’s etching strokes throughout the composition appear excited, almost frenzied. The passing clouds overhead advance further the bustling activity. The entire design is rendered in tones of gray, where darker tones pervade most of the composition, conferring it a smoky, atmospheric quality. The design seems to anticipate Leach’s lifelong fascination with clay, as the composition’s coloration is coarse and earthy, and the myriad lines that inhabit this view are almost tactile.

Connoisseur's Note

Self-printed lifetime impressions of Bernard Leach prints are exceedingly rare. Though Leach aimed to produce prints to make a living, teaching provided him a livelihood as his prints’ sales were sparse. His output in Asia totaled up to three dozen designs, but none of the prints were done in large editions. Some designs were later reissued in a second edition when the artist returned to Europe and recently issued posthumously in one last edition. The artist produced this work while he was in Japan and is among the earliest printings of the design. The work is titled and signed by the artist in pencil at the bottom margin.