Key value factors: As self-carved and self-printed works, sosaku-hanga value is tied to the artist's reputation and edition size. Larger formats, earlier editions, and historically significant works command the highest prices.
A spotlight cuts through darkness in a theatrical or performance setting, the concentrated beam of artificial light creating a dramatic contrast with the surrounding black. Henmi's interest in modern urban life extended to the entertainment venues that defined Tokyo's public culture in the 1920s and 1930s, and the spotlight subject allowed him to explore the technical challenge of rendering artificial light — so different from the diffuse natural light of his landscape work — through the woodblock medium.
Woodblock print
1928
Color lithograph
1930
Color lithograph
1948
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Spot light was created by Henmi Takashi (逸見享).
Spot light depicts urban scenes and night scenes.
