Yamato farm house

A farmhouse in the Yamato region (ancient Nara) is the subject of this 1965 etching and aquatint, one of Tanaka's earlier documented works. Yamato farmhouses typically feature steeply pitched thatched roofs suited to the region's climate, and their sturdy, earthbound character differs from the more refined vernacular of Kyoto machiya. The aquatint medium allows Tanaka to capture the tonal complexity of aged thatch and earthen walls with the subtlety this substantial subject demands.