$1,000–$8,000. Common prints: $1,000–$2,500. Key value factors: As a pioneer of sosaku-hanga and influential art critic, Hakutei's prints carry historical significance. Early self-carved prints are most valued.
This woodblock print evokes the spare, cold atmosphere of a February sky, translating seasonal mood into visual form. The title "Wintry Sky" signals Hakutei's interest in weather and atmosphere as subjects worthy of sustained observation, an approach that owes as much to Whistler and the Impressionists as to the seasonal sensibility embedded in Japanese art. The print likely employs a restrained palette suited to late winter, when color drains from the landscape and the sky itself becomes the dominant presence. Hakutei's self-carved blocks allow him to control the grain and pressure of each line, producing textures that evoke cold air and overcast light. The work sits within a Japanese tradition of seasonal imagery while pushing that tradition toward a more subjective, experiential register.
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.
February - Wintry Sky was created by Ishii Hakutei (石井柏亭).
February - Wintry Sky depicts landscapes and winter.
