Hiroshi Yoshida
Encyclopedia
was a 20th century Japanese painter and woodblock print maker. He is regarded as one of the greatest artists of the shin hanga
style, and is noted especially for his excellent landscape
prints. Yoshida travelled widely, and was particularly known for his images of non-Japanese subjects done in traditional Japanese woodblock style, including the Taj Mahal
, the Swiss Alps
, the Grand Canyon
, and other National Parks in the USA.
, in Kyushu, on September 19, 1876. He showed an early aptitude for art fostered by his adoptive father, a teacher of painting in the public schools. At age 19 he was sent to Kyoto to study under Tamura Skoryu, a well known teacher of western style painting. He then studied under Koyama Shotaro, in Tokyo, for another three years.
In 1899, Yoshida had his first American exhibition at Detroit Museum of Art (now Detroit Institute of Art). He then traveled to Boston
, Washington, D.C.
, Providence
and Europe
. In 1920, Yoshida presented his first woodcut at the Watanabe Print Workshop, organized by Watanabe Shozaburo
(1885-1962), publisher and advocate of the shin hanga
movement. However, Yoshida’s collaboration with Watanabe was short partly due to the Great Kanto earthquake on September 1, 1923.
In 1925, he hired a group of professional carvers and printers, and established his own studio. Prints were made under the his close supervision. Yoshida combined the ukiyo-e
collaborative system with the sosaku hanga
principle of “artist’s prints”, and formed the third school, separating himself from the shin hanga
and sosaku hanga
movement.
tradition, which was adopted in Japan during the Meiji period
. Yoshida often used same blocks and varied the color to suggest different mood. The best example of such is Sailing Boats in 1921. Yoshida’s extensive travel and acquaintance with Americans influenced his art considerably. In 1931, a series of prints depicting scenes from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Singapore were published. Six of these were views of the Taj Mahal
in different moods and colors.
was not an artist, Hiroshi Yoshida (1876-1950) whose wife Fujio Yoshida
(1887-1987) was an artist, Toshi Yoshida (1911-1995) whose wife Kiso Yoshida
(1919-2005) was an artist, Hodaka Yoshida (1926-1995), whose wife Chizuko Yoshida
(1924- ) and daughter Ayomi Yoshida
(1958- ) are artists (four men and four women spanning four generations) — provides an interesting perspective in looking at Japanese history and art development in the turbulent 20th Century. Although they inherit the same tradition, the Yoshida family artists
work in different styles with different sensibilities.
written by Hiroshi Yoshida was published by The Sanseido Company, Ltd. in Tokyo and Osaka in 1939.
Shin hanga
was an art movement in early 20th-century Japan, during the Taishō and Shōwa periods, that revitalized traditional ukiyo-e art rooted in the Edo and Meiji periods...
style, and is noted especially for his excellent landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
prints. Yoshida travelled widely, and was particularly known for his images of non-Japanese subjects done in traditional Japanese woodblock style, including the Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a white Marble mausoleum located in Agra, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal...
, the Swiss Alps
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
, the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
, and other National Parks in the USA.
Biography
Hiroshi Yoshida (born Hiroshi Ueda) was born in the city of Kurume, FukuokaKurume, Fukuoka
is a city located in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan.The city has an estimated population of 303,277 and a population density of 1,319.51 persons per km²...
, in Kyushu, on September 19, 1876. He showed an early aptitude for art fostered by his adoptive father, a teacher of painting in the public schools. At age 19 he was sent to Kyoto to study under Tamura Skoryu, a well known teacher of western style painting. He then studied under Koyama Shotaro, in Tokyo, for another three years.
In 1899, Yoshida had his first American exhibition at Detroit Museum of Art (now Detroit Institute of Art). He then traveled to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. In 1920, Yoshida presented his first woodcut at the Watanabe Print Workshop, organized by Watanabe Shozaburo
Watanabe Shozaburo
was a Japanese print publisher and the driving force behind the Japanese printmaking movement known as shin hanga . He started his career working for the export company of Kobayashi Bunshichi, which gave him an opportunity to learn about exporting art prints...
(1885-1962), publisher and advocate of the shin hanga
Shin hanga
was an art movement in early 20th-century Japan, during the Taishō and Shōwa periods, that revitalized traditional ukiyo-e art rooted in the Edo and Meiji periods...
movement. However, Yoshida’s collaboration with Watanabe was short partly due to the Great Kanto earthquake on September 1, 1923.
In 1925, he hired a group of professional carvers and printers, and established his own studio. Prints were made under the his close supervision. Yoshida combined the ukiyo-e
Ukiyo-e
' is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings produced between the 17th and the 20th centuries, featuring motifs of landscapes, tales from history, the theatre, and pleasure quarters...
collaborative system with the sosaku hanga
Sosaku hanga
was an art movement in early 20th-century Japan, during the Taishō and Shōwa periods. It advocated the principles of "self-drawn" , "self-carved" and "self-printed" art, stressing the artist, motivated by a desire for self-expression, as the sole creator...
principle of “artist’s prints”, and formed the third school, separating himself from the shin hanga
Shin hanga
was an art movement in early 20th-century Japan, during the Taishō and Shōwa periods, that revitalized traditional ukiyo-e art rooted in the Edo and Meiji periods...
and sosaku hanga
Sosaku hanga
was an art movement in early 20th-century Japan, during the Taishō and Shōwa periods. It advocated the principles of "self-drawn" , "self-carved" and "self-printed" art, stressing the artist, motivated by a desire for self-expression, as the sole creator...
movement.
Artistic style
Hiroshi Yoshida was trained in the Western oil paintingOil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil—especially in early modern Europe, linseed oil. Often an oil such as linseed was boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were called 'varnishes' and were prized for their body...
tradition, which was adopted in Japan during the Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
. Yoshida often used same blocks and varied the color to suggest different mood. The best example of such is Sailing Boats in 1921. Yoshida’s extensive travel and acquaintance with Americans influenced his art considerably. In 1931, a series of prints depicting scenes from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Singapore were published. Six of these were views of the Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a white Marble mausoleum located in Agra, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal...
in different moods and colors.
The Yoshida family legacy
The artistic lineage of the Yoshida family of eight artists: Kasaburo Yoshida (1861-1894) whose wife Rui YoshidaRui Yoshida
Rui Yoshida was a daughter born to a family of Japanese artists five generations ago. Through those five generations, the Yoshida artists evolved from using a traditional Japanese style to producing modern Western-style art, and finally to post-modernism. Although not an artist herself, Rui was...
was not an artist, Hiroshi Yoshida (1876-1950) whose wife Fujio Yoshida
Fujio Yoshida
was a Japanese artists. She was the first female artist among the Yoshida family artists.She was the daughter of artist Kasaburo Yoshida and his wife Rui Yoshida. She married artist Hiroshi Yoshida. Trained from an early age in the Western-style, she went on to create both naturalistic and...
(1887-1987) was an artist, Toshi Yoshida (1911-1995) whose wife Kiso Yoshida
Kiso Yoshida
, was the wife of Toshi Yoshida and one of the artists in the important Yoshida family of Japanese artists. Unlike the others in the family, Kiso created only a few woodblock prints, but she excelled in the older, traditional arts of Japan...
(1919-2005) was an artist, Hodaka Yoshida (1926-1995), whose wife Chizuko Yoshida
Chizuko Yoshida
is a Japanese artist. She is a modernist, whose work reflects the development of art in Japan following World War II.She is also important as the middle link in the succession of three generations of women artists in the widely recognized Yoshida family. She is the wife of artist Hodaka Yoshida...
(1924- ) and daughter Ayomi Yoshida
Ayomi Yoshida
is the youngest artist in the Japanese Yoshida family of artists. She is best known at the present time for her room-sized installations of woodchips that have been created for galleries and museums in Japan and the United States...
(1958- ) are artists (four men and four women spanning four generations) — provides an interesting perspective in looking at Japanese history and art development in the turbulent 20th Century. Although they inherit the same tradition, the Yoshida family artists
Yoshida family artists
The Yoshida family of artists is an important line of Japanese artists that reaches unbroken from the early 19th century to the present.-Overview:...
work in different styles with different sensibilities.
Publications
Japanese Woodblock Printing, comprehensive guide to the craft of woodblock printingWoodblock printing
Woodblock printing is a technique for printing text, images or patterns used widely throughout East Asia and originating in China in antiquity as a method of printing on textiles and later paper....
written by Hiroshi Yoshida was published by The Sanseido Company, Ltd. in Tokyo and Osaka in 1939.