Het Yamato deel 1911 - 1919

Nakazawa Hiromitsu made this woodblock print called ‘Het Yamato deel’ sometime between 1874 and 1964. The printmaking process here feels very intuitive, like following a path with your eyes. Note the pale, muted tones, especially that gorgeous green, and the way the image is structured in layers. The whole composition has this incredible flatness and lightness. Your eyes keep moving, they never quite settle. Look how the artist used blocks of colour to construct the image. The mountains and the lake are just shapes; they stand in for things, becoming an idea of a landscape rather than a literal representation. I love the almost cartoonish quality of the deer in the foreground. The artist has reduced everything to its most basic form, it’s so playful! This reminds me of Hokusai, but with a softer, more intimate touch. Both artists embrace the flatness of the print and create these incredible dreamlike landscapes. There is something so contemporary feeling about this piece, in the way it messes with perspective and embraces ambiguity.