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Upper Lyell Fork, near Lyell Glacier from World Landscape Series by Chiura Obata

Upper Lyell Fork, near Lyell Glacier from World Landscape Series by Chiura Obata

Upper Lyell Fork, near Lyell Glacier from World Landscape Series

Chiura Obata

Title

Upper Lyell Fork, near Lyell Glacier from World Landscape Series

 
Artist

Chiura Obata

  1885 - 1975 (biography)
Year
1930  
Technique
color woodcut 
Image Size
15 5/8 x 11" image 
Signature
sumi ink and artist's red seal, lower left 
Edition Size
100 
Annotations
red seal in lower left corner; stamp on verso: Made and Printed in Japan at Takamizawa Color-Print Studio 
Reference
'Obata's Yosemite', illustrated as full color plate on page 54 
Paper
heavy sheet of ivory laid Japanese made by Fukui Sugiwara 
State
published 
Publisher
Takamizawa Print Works, Japan 
Inventory ID
23236 
Price
SOLD
Description

Number 5 from Chiura Obata's "World Landscape Series: America" this image of Upper Lyell Fork in the High Sierra required a printing sequence of 113 individual hand printings from over 30 blocks for each of the 100 impressions, in order to replicate all the subtleties of Obata's watercolor.

The printing was supervised by Obata and the Master Printers Masuro, Tadao, and Takaaki Takazamizawa at the Takamizawa Print Works in Japan.

According to Janice Driesbach in "Obata's Yosemite..." of 1993, there were reportedly 400 impressions of each of the 35 compositions made, with only the finest 100 selected for the portfolios. The project employed more than 32 carvers and 40 printers and took over eighteen months to complete.

The Lyell Trail is in Yosemite National Park in California, east of Tuolumne Meadows, and runs from the valley, starting at 8,500 feet, and winds its way up Lyell Mountain canyon for about 8 miles to around 11,000 feet at the top of Donohue Pass.

This impression, in perfect condition, is from the personal collection of the Obata estate.