Japanese Woodblock Print, 1938, published by Baba Nobuhiko

SIZE IN INCHES: oban, 10.5 x 16 inches

COMMENTS: Rare 1st edition of this Koitsu masterpiece.

TSUCHIYA KOITSU'S (1870-1949) prints immortalize Japan's scenic beauty. Through subtle effects of light and shadow, Koitsu endows his art with an aura of bewitching beauty. Born in 1870 outside of Hamamatsu, he was given the name Koichi. At the age of 15, he moved to Tokyo to study Japanese wood block printing under Matsuzaki, a carver for the ukiyo-e master Kobayashi Kiyochika. However, he soon left Matsuzaki and became a student Kiyochika himself. For 19 years, Koitsu lived in Kiyochika's home, studying the art of woodblock printing. His first prints (1894-95) were war scenes of the Sino-Japanese war and he later worked as a lithographer. In 1931, a chance meeting with the publisher Watanabe changed the course of his career. From that time on, Koitsu specialized in landscape prints in the shin hanga style.

Fine, no flaws