Edutainment > Prints by Hiroshi and Toshi Yoshida

Yoshida Prints - Auction 730
Click on Image for Video
copyright Yoshida Family

From March 15 until March 18, 2009 we auction a small but fine collection of Japanese woodblock prints by Hiroshi Yoshida and his son Toshi Yoshida. This page presents a selection from this collection

Announcement on Video

At the occasion of this auction we produced a short video about prints by Hiroshi and Toshi Yoshida and the collection of this auction.

Hiroshi Yoshida - 1876-1950

Hiroshi Yoshida is seen as one of the greatest masters of Japanese woodblock printmaking of the twentieth century. He began his career as a painter in Western style. In 1920 he made his first woodblock print with Watanabe Shozaburo, publisher and mentor of the shin hanga art movement.

In 1926, Hiroshi Yoshida established his own studios that still exist until our days. Prints that the master examined and approved personally for their quality standard were marked with the jizuri seal ("self-printed").

Hiroshi Yoshida - Fuji New Grand Hotel

Fuji New Grand Hotel
by Hiroshi Yoshida
copyright Yoshida Family

The design of "Fuji New Grand Hotel Lake Yamanaka" or simply "The New Fuji Grand Hotel" was created in 1937. It was commissioned to Hiroshi Yoshida at the occasion of this new luxury hotel with great view on Mount Fuji.

The print comes with the jizuri seal on top of the left margin.

Hiroshi Yoshida - A Glimpse of Ueno Park

Glimpse of Ueno Park
by Hiroshi Yoshida
copyright Yoshida Family

This design is from 1937. The print has the jizuri seal.

In 1968 Ueno was the battleground of the last fight between supporters of the old Shogunate and the followers of the new Meiji order who had rallied around the emperor. The shoguante troops were badly defeated in a bloddy battle that the printmaker Yoshitoshi happened to experience by chance with his own eyes. The fight was more of a massacre than a battle. The imperial soldiers were well-equipped with modern guns and canons while their enemies fought with outdated weapons.

After these bloody event, Ueno became a public park and has remained it until our days.

Hiroshi Yoshida - Snake Charmers

Snake Charmers
by Hiroshi Yoshida
copyright Yoshida Family

The Snake Charmers is a design from 1932 that Hiroshi sketched during a trip to India the year before. The print has the jizuri seal.

Hiroshi Yoshida - Maiko

Maiko
by Hiroshi Yoshida
copyright Yoshida Family

This woodblock print was created in 1929. Two maiko stroll in front of flowering cherry trees in Byodoin temple ground. The two maiko here are identical to those strolling on Sanjo Ohashi Bridge in Hiroshi's work from 1927.

This design was apparently made for a calendar. To our knowledge this design comes always without the customary title, date and Yoshida Hiroshi's handwritten signature.

See the "Complete Woodblock Prints by Yoshida Hiroshi", plate 253, page 170, ISBN 87242-121-3.

Hiroshi Yoshida - Soshu

Soshu
by Hiroshi Yoshida
copyright Yoshida Family

"Soshu" is the Japanese spelling for the Chinese town of Suzhou in Jiangsu province. It is praised as the "Venice of Asia" for its many canals and small bridges.

This woodblock print carries the jizuri seal on top of the left margin where it usually can be found. The design was made in 1940.

Toshi Yoshida - 1911-1995

Toshi Yoshida was the eldest son of Hiroshi Yoshida. He was a prodigy child. Drawings that he made at the age of three years, astonished even his father.

Like his father, Toshi liked to travel. His woodblock prints show landscape scenes, famous landmarks and animal images from all over the world.

Toshi Yoshida - Birds of the Seasons

The series "Birds of the Seasons" was sold through Franklin Mint Gallery in 1982.

Spring

Birds of the Seasons
by Toshi Yoshida
copyright Yoshida Family

Winter

Birds of the Seasons
by Toshi Yoshida
copyright Yoshida Family

Summer

Birds of the Seasons
by Toshi Yoshida
copyright Yoshida Family

Autumn

Birds of the Seasons
by Toshi Yoshida
copyright Yoshida Family

Dieter Wanczura
(March 2009)

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