Details

This serene country scene by Ishiwata Koitsu is a celebration of color and the multitude of printing effects possible with woodblocks. With beautifully executed bokashi, or color gradation, in the sky that subtly gives way from blue to yellow, and then to a reddish orange; the texture of bustling trees in the evening wind; the myriad of wood surfaces several appearing well-worn in a variety of tones, while others are still sharp from the carpenter’s plane—this design has it all! Koitsu assembles these printing effects in a harmonious design that showcases what is possible in this genre almost like a menu one might find in the noodle shop inside this gem of a landscape.

Connoisseur's Note

The power of this design lies completely in its razor sharp impression and masterful printing. The work bears a Watanabe C-type seal further indicating it is the first state of this design. Ishiwata Koitsu was not prolific and only designed 26 prints for Watanabe and an additional 10 for another publisher. His prints are not often found in the marketplace and in this condition, they are even scarcer.