Portrait Print of James A. Michener (Under drawing)

The underdrawing for Hiratsuka's portrait print of James A. Michener — the preparatory sketch preserved and presented as a work in its own right. The underdrawing reveals the artist's process: the key lines established before transfer to the block, the face's essential structure visible without the woodblock's finishing resolution. As a document of method, it is as interesting as the completed print.