$500–$4,000. Common prints: $500–$1,500. Key value factors: Matsubara's bold black-and-white prints are distinctive and sought after. Larger formats command premiums.
This woodblock print from an edition of one hundred portrays the city of Cincinnati, Ohio, marking it as the second in a series of at least two Cincinnati views. The "II" designation indicates Matsubara found enough visual interest in the Ohio River city to warrant multiple treatments. Cincinnati's hilly terrain, where steep streets climb from the riverfront past nineteenth-century commercial buildings to the residential heights above, provides topographic drama that Matsubara could exploit with her bold carving style. The edition size of one hundred is relatively large for a mokuhanga print, suggesting this was intended for broad distribution. The print documents Matsubara's engagement with the American landscape beyond her Boston home base, recording a Midwestern river city through the lens of Japanese woodblock technique.
Woodblock print
1928
Color lithograph
1930
Color lithograph
1948
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Cincinnati II was created by Naoko Matsubara (松原直子) in 20th century.
Cincinnati II depicts urban scenes, landscapes, and travel scenes.
