2011.30.14
Portrait of a Poet; Hagiwara Sakutaro
Artists
Koshiro Onchi
(Tokyo, Japan, 7/2/1891 - 6/3/1955, Tokyo, Japan);
Hirai Koichi
Title
Portrait of a Poet; Hagiwara Sakutaro
Creation Date
1959
Century
mid-20th century
Dimensions
21 3/4 in. x 17 7/16 in. (55.25 cm x 44.29 cm)
Object Type
print
Creation Place
Asia, Japan
Medium and Support
woodblock on paper
Credit Line
Gift of Ted and Marcia Marks in memory of Emily Howe Marks
Copyright
This artwork may be under copyright. For further information, please consult the Museum’s
Copyright Terms and Conditions.
Accession Number
2011.30.14
Onchi knew the subject of this widely acclaimed portrait, the poet Hagiwara Sakutaro, both professionally and personally. The print was produced in an edition of only two during World War II, when many artists, including Hagiwara, were struggling for survival in pursuit of their art. Onchi's style is generally abstract with the exception of portraits, which, he argued, "have to be realistic." Based on a photograph, the work renders deep wrinkles, sagging creases, and disheveled hair. Onchi conveys the despair of Hagiwara’s personal life and the strain of living in wartime Japan with disturbing intensity. During the Occupation of Japan from 1945-1952, when foreign interest in Japanese prints grew rapidly, the portrait rose to fame as one of the symbols of the growing relationship between Japan and the Euro-American world. To meet the demand of Western collectors, the portrait was re-printed by others with Onchi's permission and was widely displayed in museums outside Japan.
Object Description
printed in 1959 as a memorial edition by Hirai Koichi, using original wood blocks
