Rapids, 1983
Color woodcut on wove paper, with full margins. Signed in ink in Japanese and with the signature stamp lower right; the artist’s two red seals Sairan (cutting brocade), dated Showa sannen saku (made in 1928).
Provenance: Private collection, California (illustrated in “The Nature of Collecting,” p. 12)
21 x 32 inches | 53.3 x 81.3 centimeters
Newly acquired, this large painting by Hiroshi Yoshida is in fine condition. The print depicts a dynamic mountain stream — the rapids of a river, often identified as in the upper reaches of the Tone River region. The image emphasizes strong, flowing water over rocks and terrain, capturing both movement and texture. Yoshida’s prints combine traditional Japanese woodblock techniques with naturalistic composition and color gradations, a hallmark of shin-hanga (“new prints”), a 20th-century revival of ukiyo-e aesthetics. Rapids is known for its complex block carving and printing: multiple woodblocks are used to achieve layered color and detail, with expert control of gradations and registration. It’s considered one of Yoshida’s major works among his landscape prints and, according to some sources, a personal favorite design by the artist.
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