This Swiss alpine subject belongs to Yoshida's landmark European series from his 1925 tour — one of only 11 prints from that journey and among the rarest in his entire catalogue. The series is anchored by The Town of Lugano, which set the artist's record at $167,144 (Mainichi Auction, 2024). Swiss subjects in particular attract buyers from both Europe and the Americas.
The Breithorn (4,164 m) in the Swiss Pennine Alps — directly accessible from the Klein Matterhorn cable station — presented Yoshida with a massive glaciated summit during his 1925 European travels. The relatively gentle summit plateau belies the mountain's scale, which Yoshida captures with the ice-white precision of a landscape painter who had trained extensively in oil before turning to woodblock. The European alpine print stands as a direct comparison to his Japan Alps subjects: the same atmospheric mastery, a different geography of ice and stone.
Wakasa Kugushiko
1920
Color woodblock print; oban
Woodblock print
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
n.d.
Woodblock print; ishizuri-e, section of harimaze sheet
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Breithorn was created by Hiroshi Yoshida (吉田博) in 1925.
Breithorn was published by Yoshida Studio (1925).
Breithorn depicts landscapes, snow scenes, and mountains.
Breithorn measures 27.2 × 40 cm (Oban format).
