$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 portrait depicts Hiratsuka Unichi, who became one of the most important sosaku-hanga artists and theorists of the twentieth century. Hakutei, as a senior figure in the creative print movement, had mentored and inspired younger printmakers including Hiratsuka, making this portrait a document of generational connection within the sosaku-hanga world. The choice to render a fellow artist's likeness in woodblock rather than paint or photograph speaks to the medium's centrality in both men's lives. Hakutei's portrait technique draws on his Western painting education, using tonal modeling and direct observation rather than the stylized conventions of traditional Japanese portraiture. The print serves simultaneously as a personal tribute and as a record of the creative print community's tight-knit social fabric.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Hiratsuka Unichi was created by Ishii Hakutei (石井柏亭).
Hiratsuka Unichi depicts figures and portraits.
