Grapes, 1955

Grapes, 1955 is among the earlier documented woodblock works in Hamaguchi's output, predating the peak of his color mezzotint production. By the mid-1950s he was already resident in Paris and developing his intaglio approach, making this woodblock an unusual artifact of his practice. The date situates it within the period when Japanese printmakers were actively engaged in international exchange, with Hamaguchi's contemporaries in the sōsaku-hanga (creative print) movement similarly exploring Western printmaking approaches. The grapes subject—a cluster of spherical fruit—would require careful registration of multiple blocks to suggest depth and volume. Whether the work reflects engagement with traditional Japanese woodblock aesthetics or a more experimental approach remains a question for close physical examination of surviving impressions.