Japanese Woodblock Print

OKUYAMA Gihachiro . (?) – Great Buddha of Kamakura. Woodblock print (mokuhanga) – Shin Hanga. Kyoto Hanga-in , Shinagawa Kaede. Oban tate-e – 41.0 × 29.5 cm (16.1 × 11.6 inches). Signed “Gihachiro” in the lower left area of the image; publisher’s mark in the lower left margin. Impression & Colors: Very good impression with excellent to very good colours. The deep indigo and violet tones of the twilight sky are rich and beautifully graduated, transitioning seamlessly from warm golden clouds at the top to the profound darkness surrounding the Buddha. The verdigris greens and grey-blues of the bronze statue are subtly modulated, and the delicate pink of the cherry blossoms at right provides a striking accent. Notably, the clouds feature fine embossing. , adding a three-dimensional quality that enhances the atmospheric depth of the scene. Some light toning and minor wear to the margins. The thick washi paper is intact with no significant losses, tears, or restoration. The Great Buddha at Twilight. This atmospheric composition presents Japan’s most iconic Buddhist monument – the Great Buddha. Of Kotoku-in temple in Kamakura – bathed in the ethereal light of dusk. The monumental bronze Amida Buddha, cast in 1252 and standing over thirteen metres tall, sits in serene meditation as the sky behind transitions from warm golden clouds to deep indigo night. Okuyama captures the statue with striking sensitivity: the soft verdigris patina of centuries-old bronze, the gentle folds of the monastic robe, and the contemplative expression of the face are all rendered through masterful colour gradation and precise carving. The composition draws the viewer upward along a pathway of stone steps, past small human figures who provide a vivid sense of the statue’s immense scale. At left, a multi-tiered stone pagoda and lush foliage frame the scene, while at right a delicate cherry tree in full bloom adds a note of ephemeral beauty – a poignant contrast to the Buddha’s eternal repose. The deep nocturnal palette, punctuated by small spots of vivid colour in the visitors’ clothing, creates a mood of profound stillness and reverence. Clouds are a particularly fine touch, adding subtle dimensionality to the darkening sky. Okuyama Gihachiro: Bridging Two Print Traditions. Born in Sagae, Yamagata Prefecture, he trained under Kosaka Gajin and Ishii Kendo, acquiring deep expertise in both modern creative printmaking and the classical traditions of ukiyo-e. Uniquely among his contemporaries, Okuyama moved fluidly between the shin-hanga and sosaku-hanga movements – producing evocative, richly coloured landscape prints in the collaborative shin-hanga tradition alongside more experimental, personally carved works in the sosaku-hanga spirit. This print was published by the Kyoto Hanga-in (Kyoto Print Institute), one of the distinguished shin-hanga publishers of the postwar period. The print exemplifies the finest qualities of the shin-hanga tradition: the harmonious collaboration between artist-designer, skilled block carver, and master printer produces results of extraordinary refinement – from the seamless. Gradations of the twilight sky to the subtle embossing of the clouds. Okuyama’s background in commercial design lends his compositions a striking graphic clarity, while his deep study of traditional printmaking technique ensures the atmospheric subtlety and emotional depth that characterise the best shin-hanga landscape prints.