Hiroshi Yoshida (1876-1950)

Hiroshi Yoshida was one of the most famous woodblock print artists of the 20th century and a leader in the shin-hanga or new print movement in Japan. He and his son, Toshi, traveled Japan and the globe, examining and sketching the people and places around them. Best known for his beautiful landscapes, his prints are richly detailed. He was especially skilled at capturing the effects of light and reflections on water. After 1925, Hiroshi Yoshida began self-publishing his own works, hiring his own carvers and printers and supervising them very closely. He was a highly skilled carver and printer in his own right, using a special "jizuri" seal to denote the designs he worked on himself. His lovely woodblocks are beautiful examples of 20th century Japanese printmaking.