Little Green Willow (also called 'Miss Green Willow')

Helen Hyde

Helen Hyde began her printmaking career as an etcher in 1896 before turning to color woodcut in 1900. She continued to sporadically use the intaglio media throughout her career, returning to it completely again in 1915 until her death in 1919.

Hyde returned to Asia in 1902, traveling to China and then to Tokyo, where she met Arthur Dow. She sailed back to San Francisco in 1905, the year this work was printed. It was one of three color etchings of the fourteen prints she did between 1903-05. It was then that she perfected the vertically linked "HH" cartouche and her red four leaf clover chop, seen in the lower right of this work. With war threatened she returned to the US and mounted a series of international exhibitions which had a great success and helped cement her reputation.

The Japanese warrior Tomotada was sheltered by an elderly man who introduces “My daughter,” said his host, “Green Willow.” Shyly the figure removed the wet cloak. The girl was beautiful, graceful as her namesake, the willow. Tomotada forgot his dinner. He forgot his mission. He could think only of Green Willow.

They wed and built a home and garden by a stream with great willow trees. One summer’s night Tomotada and Green Willow sat in their garden. Water splashed in the little stream nearby. Leaves rustled on the evening breeze. The perfume of many flowers scented the air. Suddenly Green Willow cried out in pain, “My tree! My tree!”

She cried again. “My tree. Don’t let them! Not now! Oh, but they are cutting, cutting. The pain! They are cutting my tree! Oh, dear Tomotada, husband,” she said feverishly, I am sorry that I took you from your duty’. But I loved you. I shall always love you. Farewell.”

“What are you saying?” he cried. “You are here with me. All is well. What…!” But before he could finish, Green Willow was gone! In his arms he held not a woman but a bunch of long, slender, golden willow leaves.

https://spiritoftrees.org/green-willow