Yoshijiro Urushibara (Mokuchu) 1889-1953. was a Japanese woodblock print maker best known for his landscapes and flower studies, as well as a series of black and white prints of horses. Growing up in Tokyo, he studied the art of carving and printing woodblocks from an early age. In 1907 Urushibara travelled to London to demonstrate Japanese printmaking at the Anglo-Japanese Exhibition. He remained in London after the exhibition, restoring prints, making reproductions of prints, and mounting scrolls at the British Museum.
The atmospheric landscapes of the British Isles provided a fresh source of inspiration for Mokuchu who avidly depicted the misty streets of London. With first-hand knowledge of two different cultures, Mokuchu was able to fuse distant artistic practices and find common ground between Japan and the west, employing Japanese techniques to portray new subjects. The artist became an access point to the traditional methods of Japanese arts for the growing interest of English artists. This keen interest to learn authentic woodblock printing, amongst other crafts by English art students and enthusiasts, allowed Japanese artists to experiment and preserve their traditional styles in a time when they were going out of fashion in their homeland in favour for more novel and Western artistic disciplines.
Mokuchu’s techniques are mentioned in Walter J. Phillips’s book on printmaking (who is thought to have received teachings from Urushibara). In addition to his own work, Urushibara is also known for his collaborations with other artists. His most famous collaborations were with the English artist Frank Brangwyn.
The start of World War II caused his return to Japan, but he kept in contact with his friends from Europe. It would be no overstatement to say he was an indispensable part of the European colour print movement, and that he had a profound influence on European colour printmakers.
This is part 2 of a 2-part series on the works of
Yoshijiro Urushibara:
1924 Portfolio "Ten Woodcuts." Cut and printed by Urushibara after watercolours by his friend and collaborator Frank Brangwyn.
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| 1924 The Mill (Dixmuden) woodcut print 26.7 x 21.4 cm |
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| 1924 The Court of the Mosque of Memory woodcut print 23.1 x 27.8 cm |
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| 1924 Mosque Ibu Toulon woodcut print 21.6 x 26.6 cm |
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| 1924 Fishing (Entrance to the Scheld) woodcut print 21.9 x 25.5 cm |
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| 1924 Venice, Golden Morning woodcut print 27.3 x 39.6 cm |
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| 1924 Trees (Montreuil) woodcut print 21.9 x 26.7 cm |
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| 1924 The Shepherd's Watch woodcut print 22.3 x 26.8 cm |
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| 1924 The resting place (Scutaru) woodcut print 23.6 x 27.6 cm |
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| 1924 The outskirts of a Flemish Town woodcut print 21.7 x 28.1 cm ---------------------------------------------------------- |
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| 1924 In the Docks woodcut print |
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| 1924 Dutch Packet Boats woodct print 21.8 x 25.5 cm |
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| 1924 Venice, gondolas woodcut print |
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| 1924 Venice, golden morning woodcut print 22 x 34.2 cm |
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| 1924 The Resting Place, Scutari woodcut print |
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| 1924 The Golden Horn woodcut print 22.1 x 27.3 cm |
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| c1924 Ruins of a Roman Bridge over the Loire at Brives-Charensac woodcut print 33 x 50.8 cm |
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| c1924 A Scene in Flanders woodcut print 39.3 x 59 cm |
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| 1927 Messina, life amongst the ruins woodcut print (after Frank Brangwyn) 29.1 x 37.9 cm |
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| c1928 Winter Scene, Westminster in London woodcut print 39.4 x 52.8 cm |
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| c1929 Paris, Quai d'Orsay woodcut print 24.3 x 30.9 cm |
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| early 1930s Crete-de-coq woodcut print 29.8 x 22.8 cm |
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| c1930 Peonies woodcut print 29 x 23 cm |
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| 1932 Rabbits woodcut print 28.2 x 34.4 cm |
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| c1934 Peonies woodcut print 30.5 x 20.3 cm |
Note: Dates were not found for the remainder of images in this series.
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| Cyclamen woodcut print 34.8 x 23.9 cm |
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| Crayfish woodcut print 28 x 36.3 cm |
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| Dandelions woodcut print |
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| Geese woodcut print |
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| Geese woodcut print |
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| Geese woodcut print |
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| Grazing Horse woodcut print 24.1 x 34.2 cm |
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| Girl dancing woodcut print |
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| Nasturtiums woodcut print 35 x 23.8 cm |
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| Outside the wall of Avignon, France woodcut print |
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| Orchids, butterfly and ladybird woodcut print 30.2 x 21.3 cm |
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| Orchid woodcut print |
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| Orchid woodcut print 36.5 x 25.6 cm |
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| Peony, Pirus spectabilis woodcut print |
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| Queen of the Night (variation of "Dawn" in part 1) woodcut print 25.1 x 35.8 cm |
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| Quai d'Orsay, Paris woodcut print |
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| Roses woodcut print 35.4 x 25.8 cm |
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| Red Poppies woodcut print 34.7 x 23.9 cm |
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| Tulips in a vase woodcut print 38.5 x 29.5 cm |
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