Photo Credit: alembix
Tsuchiya Koitsu Woodblock Print, Japan, Benkei Bridge, Shin hanga Style, Listed Artist
Buy It Now Price: $298 (price as of 2016; item no longer available)
Pros:
-This is a Japanese woodblock print in the “shin hanga” style. Shin hanga translates from the Japanese as “new woodblock prints” and are descendents of the traditional Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock prints of the Edo and Meiji eras.
-Shin hanga was an early to mid 20th century Japanese print movement that combined traditional Japanese themes with groundbreaking Western artistic understanding of light and perspective. It was an export-oriented artistic movement that was wildly popular in the West in the period between World War I and World War II. Even today, shin hanga prints possess an attractive, unmistakably modern quality.
-This particular shin hanga print is titled “Benkei Bridge” and was created by Tsuchiya Koitsu in 1934 and published by Doi Hangaten. It shows a famous bridge in Kyoto, lined with blooming cherry trees, in an atmospheric night scene.
– The seller claims this Benkei Bridge woodblock print is a reprint from just after World War II. The offset seal in the lower left-hand corner is consistent with an early post-war impression.
-Tsuchiya Koitsu (born 1870; died 1949) was a landscape specialist Japanese woodblock print artist renowned for his striking use of light and shadow. Benkei Bridge is one of his most popular works.
-The print measures 10.5 by 15.6 inches (26.7 by 39.6 centimeters). This is an “oban” format print, the largest of the commonly encountered sizes.
-The work is unframed and in good condition, with no apparent rips, stains, or trimmed margins. $298 is an excellent price, provided the work is genuine and as described.
Cons:
-Almost all shin hanga Japanese woodblock prints were reprinted one or more times in the mid to late 20th century. An original is, of course, far more desirable and expensive than a reprint. Among reprints, those made during the lifetime of the artist are also more valuable then later reprints from the 1980s or 1990s. You should assume that any print you find for sale online is a reprint, unless it comes from a highly reputable source.
-I would have preferred that the seller include a photo of the back of the print. All woodblock prints bleed through to the back to some extent. This is considered a sign of authenticity as any copy of a woodblock print created via laser-jet or other modern printing method will not have this bleed-through.
