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Portrait of the Poet Hagiwara Sakutaro (1886–1942), Author of “Ice Island,” 1943

A work made of color woodblock print.

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  • A work made of color woodblock print.

Date:

1943

Artist:

Onchi Koshiro
Japanese, 1891-1955
Printer: Sekino Jun’ichiro
Japanese, 1914-88

About this artwork

This portrait was done as a tribute to Hagiwara Sakutaro one year after the poet’s death. The dark tones and wrinkled skin of the subject make for a disturbing image, which is in keeping with Hagiwara’s tendency toward depression brought on by the realities of war. This portrait has been hailed as one of the most powerful prints produced by a 20th-century Japanese artist, and several other editions were later printed in 1949 and 1987.
Included on this finished print are Onchi Koshiro’s notes on the printing process to his fellow artist Sekino Junichiro. The additional set of prints shows the steps involved in attaining the completed image that Sekino printed from blocks made by his mentor.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of Asia

Artist

Onchi Kōshirō

Title

Portrait of the Poet Hagiwara Sakutaro (1886–1942), Author of “Ice Island,” 1943

Place

Japan (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1943

Medium

Color woodblock print

Dimensions

55.7 × 45.2 cm (21 7/8 × 17 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Oliver Statler

Reference Number

1969.643a

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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