Yoshida Hiroshi "Taj Mahal"

Hiroshi Yoshida is one of the Japanese artist worked as painter and wood printmaker from the age of 44. He traveled around the world and got lots of inspiration from trip. He pursue to find beauty from any places. It is interesting for me that he draw Japanese scenery after traveling around the world. 'World War I, making travel difficult and dangerous, held him at home. But the Wanderlust was merely localized, not eradicated; and during this period he began exploring the confines of his own Japan. Now commenced the annual trips, never omitted until his years became too many, for mountaineering among the Japan Alps; month-long tours around the Inland Sea produced their quota of pictures; from Hokkaido to Ryukyu the artist roamed Japan, seeing and painting its beauties.'(Ben Bruce Blackeney,1953)
 would introduce one of his work named"Taj Mahal" series.

Yoshida draw Taj Mahal with two different times in exactly same composition. Taj Mahal set in the center, and there is a line toward construction. The shape of tree, people does not change among these works, but colour is changed dramatically.

This works represent different atmosphere between two situation in the day, morning and nights.

On this picture, detail of  color make subtle difference. In the morning, air is clear, Taj Mahal is white and tree s are dark green, this contrast make picture clear. I can watch the color more vivid than the picture of night. On the other hand, about the night,  all color is unclear and dark tone than morning scenery. Taj Mahal, people and trees are blend into one scenery.

I think that Yoshida attempted to express his mind world from Taj Mahal. He is known as using a lot of colour, over 30 or 40 to printing. Sometime he involved all process. It is amazing because it is generally to involve only design. However, he tried to use his hands and relate to almost all process, designing, carving, coloring to reach his purpose. On the picture, I saw many slightly different colors with texture of printing. Wood block printing can express beautiful gradation with ink and paper texture. I think he want to represetnt silent atmosphere through various power of color and thin outline. He draw water very carefully to hold water moving moment on his picture. The shape of people is exactly same among two picture, but Yoshida succeeded express difference of people feeling.

Yoshida succeed to get his famous in his life. I think his work suit to his age. He traveled around the world, and made lots of pictures, most of theme is scenery and local people life. He combine his inspiration from many places with Japanese traditional technique and view to draw picture. European and American evaluated his work highly. It is interesting for me to see his work and his life.

Bibliography

Encyclopedia. (1953) Yoshida Hiroshi: Print-maker Part One [online] 
At: http://woodblock.com/encyclopedia/entries/011_16/part_one.html (Accessed on 18.07.15)