Who are the famous printmakers in Japan and abroad, and what are their masterpieces? Printmaking techniques and their value today
//Summary - Level-B2//
Printmaking is an old technique where images are created using carved blocks or plates and then printed on paper. It includes methods like woodblock, copperplate, lithography, and screen printing. Famous Japanese printmakers include Hokusai and Hiroshige, known for ukiyo-e, and Shiko Munakata, known for modern woodblock prints. Abroad, Alphonse Mucha, Pablo Picasso, and Marc Chagall are well-known for their print works. Today, prints are valued for their artistic quality, rarity, and the artist's fame. Some prints, like Hokusai's The Great Wave, are sold for millions of dollars.
1)
I think everyone has made prints in elementary and junior high school classes. In particular, the technique of carving woodblocks with a carving knife originated in Japan, and ukiyo-e prints, which use these woodblocks, are highly regarded worldwide as a form of Japanese art. The printmaking technique itself is ancient, and woodblocks were created as a printing technique around the 7th century.
Since then, printmaking techniques have continued to evolve, and as a method for reproducing original paintings, they have become a familiar art form. Many printmakers hold exhibitions and solo shows.
This time, we will introduce printmakers and their techniques.
2)
Basic knowledge of printmaking
First, we will introduce the techniques and characteristics of printmaking.
●What is printmaking?
What is printmaking? Printmaking refers to the technique of creating a print by carving a block, applying ink, and pressing it onto paper, resulting in a finished print.
Engraving uses a master plate, such as a wooden or stone plate, and one of the characteristics of printmaking is that multiple works can be produced from the same plate.
Throughout history, unique printmaking techniques have developed around the world, including Europe and Japan.
Known types of master plates include copperplate, lithograph, woodblock, and even silkscreen using fabric.
Currently, advances in computer digitisation and photography have taken printmaking beyond traditional techniques, resulting in works with a delicate feel that differ from those using master plates.
3)
●Printmaking techniques
Traditional printmaking can be broadly classified into the following four types based on the mechanism of the plate.
(1) Relief printing
This is a technique in which ink is applied to the surface of the plate, avoiding the carved parts, and printing is done by placing ink on the raised parts.
The most representative type is woodblock printing, which is the most familiar to Japanese people.
In woodblock printing, a wooden board is used, and the parts where you do not want ink to be placed are carved into the master plate.
(2) Intaglio printing
This is the exact opposite of letterpress printing and involves filling the recesses of the plate with ink to print. First, the entire plate is inked, and the front is wiped off, leaving the ink in the recesses, before printing.
There are various types of printing, such as copperplate engraving (a copper plate is used to carve lines with a sharp tool to create a master plate), etching (a copper plate is coated with acid-resistant wax or resin, and the drawn parts are corroded with acid to create a master plate), mezzotint, and aquatint.
(3) Planographic printing
This is a technique in which an image is transferred from a flat plate using oil-based ink and water. A typical example is lithography, where a stone or metal plate is used as the master plate, and a picture is drawn directly onto it to create the plate.
(4) Screen printing
This is a technique in which ink is passed through holes in the plate to print. The simplest methods include stencils, which are created by cutting out the subject and then applying ink to the paper, and silkscreen printing, which involves making holes in fabric through which ink can pass and then using it to transfer the image to the paper.
4)
Famous printmakers and their representative works [Domestic and overseas]. So, what kind of artists produce prints? Below, we will explain three representative artists from Japan and overseas.
5)
● [Japan] Famous printmaker
・Katsushika Hokusai
(1760-1849)
A late Edo period ukiyo-e artist. He also produced hand-painted paintings, but mainly woodblock prints. He challenged himself with a variety of subjects, including courtesans, sumo wrestlers, actors, historical figures, portraits of beautiful women, landscapes, insects, birds, flowers, and buildings. Throughout his life, he produced approximately 30,000 works.
Ukiyo-e (ukiyo-e) is a type of traditional woodblock print or painting that developed in Japan during the Edo period. It refers to works that depict the lives, customs, nature, and stories of ordinary people from that time. The word "ukiyo" meant "the fleeting pleasures of this world" in the Edo period, and ukiyo-e, as the name suggests, became popular as art that reflected the culture, trends, and entertainment of ordinary people.
Famous works: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, White Rain Under the Mountains, etc.
6)
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797 – 1858)
Ukiyo-e artist of the late Edo period. His series of woodblock prints depicting landscapes became popular among the people of Edo.
Representative works: "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido" and "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo", etc.
7)
・Munakata Shiko
(1903 – 1975)
A Japanese woodblock artist who is said to be one of the world's greatest masters of 20th-century art. He originally aspired to be a Western-style painter, but after switching to woodblock printmaking, he was highly acclaimed in this field. He won the International Print Grand Prize at the Venice Biennale in Italy and suddenly attracted attention. The Munakata Shiko Memorial Museum, which had an extensive collection of his works, closed last year, and his works were moved to the Aomori Museum of Art.
Representative works: "Two Bodhisattvas and the Ten Disciples of Shaka Shakyamuni - All Twelve Fences", "Yamato Shi Uruwashi - Print Scroll", etc.
8)
● [Western] Artists famous for their prints
・ Alphonse Mucha
(1860 – 1939)
A painter from the Czech Republic who was active in France and other countries. He started as an illustrator but became a graphic designer who represented Art Nouveau, and is also known for his illustrations and paintings.
His representative's works, posters, and decorative panels were made using lithographs.
Representative prints: "The Zodiac", "The Four Seasons", "Gismonda", etc.
9)
・ Pablo Picasso
(1881 – 1973)
A painter and sculptor from Spain, known to everyone as a master of modern art. He used a variety of techniques for printmaking, including copperplate engraving, lithography, and linocut— a method in which a design is carved into linoleum, a soft material often used as flooring, and then ink is applied and printed on paper.
Notable prints: "The Human Comedy I," "Reclining Woman and Bullfighter at a Guitar (from The Feast of the Wine God, Woman, Bull, and Bullfighter)," "Faun and Goat (from The Feast of the Wine God, Woman, Bull, and Bullfighter)," etc.
10)
Marc Chagall
(1887 – 1985)
A Russian-born French painter who represents the 20th century. He was called the "painter of love" for his works that were inspired by his admiration for his wife, and the "magician of colour" for his brilliant use of colour.
He produced many hand-painted paintings, but used lithography for his prints based on these.
Masterpieces of prints: Paris, Opera House ceiling painting "Bouquet of Dreams", etc.
11)
The value and characteristics of prints in modern times
Prints are an established painting technique, and are actively bought and sold as art both in Japan and abroad.
So, how is the value of a print determined?
12)
●Prints are popular all over the world
Prints are still popular in Japan and around the world today, and old ones and works by popular artists are traded at high prices.
Prints that are in high demand can be worth hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of yen. At an auction held in March 2023, Katsushika Hokusai's "The Great Wave off Kanagawa," featured on the back of the current 1,000 yen banknote, was sold for $2.8 million.
13)
●Prints by famous artists are valuable
In the art market, it's essential to know who the artist is. Prints by artists who are popular with collectors or famous artists who are highly regarded tend to be valuable. In particular, prints that show the artist's unique style or are of high quality tend to be more beneficial than other prints by the same artist.
14)
● Rare prints are valuable
In secondary sales such as auctions, the value is determined by supply and demand, so the price fluctuates depending on when it is released to the market.
In particular, valuable prints are those signed by the artist and produced. At the same time, they were alive, or prints with a small edition number (limited edition) and a small number of copies were made.
Who are the famous printmakers in Japan and abroad, and what are their masterpieces? Printmaking techniques and their value today
https://kotto-kotaro.com/news/detail/hanga-2/
Introducing the works of 11 famous printmakers from Japan and abroad and their appeal! What is the market price for paintings?
https://nikkoudou-kottou.com/blog/painting/15116
Add info)
lithographer
https://tentan.jp/gogen/graph/lithographer
"lithographer" Basic sentences
The lithographer used a special kind of ink to make the print.
The famous artist began his career as a lithographer.
The lithographer created a stunning lithograph of the city skyline.
How to remember lithographer: etymology
The word lithographer comes from the ancient Greek words "λιθος" (lithos) and "γραφειν" (graphein). "λιθος" means "stone," and "γραφειν" means "to write" or "to draw." The combination of these words gave rise to a term referring to the technique of drawing or printing on stone. The term became particularly popular in the 19th century when the printing technique known as lithography was developed. This technique is characterised by printing on a stone plate using oil-based ink, which allows for the production of prints that resemble paintings. Thus, a lithographer is a specialist who draws or prints pictures or letters on stone. As the etymology suggests, lithography is also known as "lithography" and has played an essential role in the fields of culture and art.
print; etching; lithograph
https://ejje.weblio.jp/content/%E7%89%88%E7%94%BB
a printmaker
a woodblock artist
a copperplate engraver
an etcher
a lithographer
