Kingfisher (Kawasemi)
- Date:
- 1928
- Medium:
- Woodcut print
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
$500–$8,000. Common later works: $500–$1,500. Key value factors: His enormous output (lived to 102) means most works are accessible. Early black-and-white prints are most valued.
The kingfisher — kawasemi in Japanese — is rendered here in Hiratsuka's early woodcut style, the bird's brilliant plumage translated into the monochrome vocabulary of his knife work. Dating to around 1928, the bird study belongs to his early natural history subjects before his focus shifted predominantly to architectural documentation. The kingfisher's compact, jewel-like form suits the woodcut's capacity for precise outline.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Kingfisher (Kawasemi) was created by Hiratsuka Un'ichi (平塚運一) in 1928.
Kingfisher (Kawasemi) depicts birds & flowers and animals.
