From Yoshida's later career (1935–1950), these prints show his technical mastery at full maturity. Later-decade prints slightly trail peak-period 1920s works at auction, but jizuri impressions of desirable subjects still command strong prices. Standard jizuri Japanese landscapes follow the dealer benchmark of approximately $2,149; Sacred Bridge, Nikko (1937) sold for $800 at Schmidt's Antiques for a pencil-signed example.
Shakujii refers to Shakujii Park in western Tokyo, a green enclave centered on two ponds in what was then the outer suburbs of the city. Yoshida's 1937 color-on-paper print likely captures the park's waterways and surrounding woodland, a pastoral subject within the expanding metropolis. The Shakujii ponds had been a gathering place for Tokyo residents seeking respite from urban density, and Yoshida's print participates in a long tradition of celebrating such urban green spaces — nature as foil to the relentlessly growing city.
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.
Shakujii was created by Hiroshi Yoshida (吉田博) in 1937.
Shakujii was published by Yoshida Studio (1937).
Shakujii depicts landscapes, rivers & lakes, and gardens.
Shakujii measures 27.3 × 40 cm (Oban format).
