Details

In Village Man, Umataro Azechi presents a compelling portrait of a rugged, weathered figure—a distillation of the mountain men and villagers who populated his beloved alpine landscapes. The figure, with sharply stylized features and an earthy color palette of deep blue, ochre, and muted gray, emerges with a monumental presence against a stark, textured background. The subject’s simplified facial structure, slightly angular hands, and heavy garment textures are hallmarks of Azechi’s mature style, which he developed during the early 1950s.

Azechi, himself an avid mountaineer, often traveled deep into Japan’s remote mountain regions, finding kinship among the hardy villagers and hikers he encountered. His depictions of these “mountain men” are not mere portraits, but symbolic representations of endurance, simplicity, and harmony with nature. In this print, the thick, expressive applications of color and the hand-wrought feeling of the carving convey the raw vitality of his subjects, resonating with the rustic authenticity that defined Azechi’s artistic vision.

Connoisseur's Note

This impression of Village Man is a rare, self-printed work from Azechi’s early period, bearing the hallmarks of direct artist involvement—thick layers of pigment, textured and tactile surfaces, and a vigorous energy in both carving and printing. This differs markedly from the lighter-toned, more refined “studio impressions” produced in the 1960s and beyond, which were printed by artisans under Azechi’s supervision. Those later works, while still aesthetically beautiful, often lack the immediacy and material boldness found in these earlier, personally executed prints.

Produced in a small edition of only 50 impressions, each individually signed, dated, and numbered, Village Man offers collectors a rare glimpse into Azechi’s authentic, hands-on printmaking practice at its expressive height—where the boundaries between artist, subject, and natural world dissolve into a singular, resonant image.