Takahashi Shôtei (Hiroaki) (1871-1945)
A fisherman, resting on his boat pulled ashore under pines, is smoking a pipe. Beyond the bay rises the peak of Mount Fuji.
Title: Miho no Fuji (Mount Fuji seen from Miho)
Publisher: Watanabe, Tokyo
Date: c. 1924-27
Size: Vertical Ôtanzaku (Mitsugiri-ban), 38.6 x 16.4 cm (overall)
Very good impression and colours; with embossing and very well visible woodgrain in Fuji. Early state-print, in different colours, before the edition. No margin on the left. Upper left corner with a small printer’s dog ear. Excellent, fresh condition.
From the title, lower right under the grass tufts, only the first two characters are very faintly visible, poorly printed, but present!
The printing blocks for the sky, the inner filling of the lower cloud zone and for the waves would have been modified for the final state; the block for Mt. Fuji was substantially reworked by cutting out additional snow zones on the right. For the shadow fields on the beach a completely new plate was cut for the final version. The details of the black printing block (incl. the title), as well as the green block (trees in the background etc.) are completely identical with the final state down to the tiniest details.
The absence of the artist's seal here also contradicts the assumption that this print is a recut or fake copy; moreover no other copies of this present version have been found hitherto. Additional details can be provided upon request.
See Shotei.com No. M-28; Shimizu, Syotei (Hiroaki) Takahashi. Folk Museum of Ota City, 2005, p. 47, ill. no. 201; Honolulu Museum of Art, Roach Coll., no. 25620 - all for the final state.
sold