Leo Meissner, American, 1895-1977, wood engraving, "Hannah," image size 10 x 8 inches, numbered "Trial Proof 10," signed in pencil.
Joseph Pennell, American, 1857-1926, etching, "The Bridges, from Brooklyn," image size 9 7/8 x 6 7/8 inches, 1921, cat. Wuerth 782 and the cover, pencil signed.
Haku Maki was undoubtedly Japan’s most prolific print maker of the second half of the 20th century. Many of his works were serious works of kanji and also ceramics. These three are perhaps a bit frivolous. They are actually pretty: each one has seeming globs of color The blue one on the left has kanji in the blue stone; the central one has a wonderful black kanji for Mountain in the center; and the one on the right four globs, each of a different color. And one splash.
Edgar Chahine, French, 1874-1947, drypoint etching, "Elvira," image size 14 1/4 x 19 1/2 inches, 1906, ed. of 50, cat. Tabanelli-165, pencil signed, framed.
Louis Auguste Mathieu Legrand, French, 1863-1951, etching, "La Femme au Parapluie" (Lady with Umbrella), image size 14 1/4 x 6 inches, signed and dedicated in pen "A Mon Ami Mil..." (To My Friend Mil...), framed.
The image on the left was done in 1970 the other in 1971. The image at the left looks like 2 or 3 quick brush strokes. It is very delicate. It can mean clothing.
The image at the right is heavy, many brush strokes, a complicated kanji. It can mean depression. It is Poem 71-14.
(continued) the last two panels show the same kanji for Rising in two different designs. Maki seemed to have liked this theme. Big Red is Poem 71-50; it was preceded by Poem 70-48 a smaller print. These are shown below.
In The Life and Works of Haku Maki I refer fairly briefly to his Big Reds and other large prints of the late 1960s and early 1970s. In this Research Note I present a more thorough compendium of this type of image and commentary. If any readers know of an image which should be in this Note, please let me know. For now please enjoy these.
Poem 70-63 (Me) was acquired in 2010.
Poem 71-90 ed of 108
Dance 69-2
NOTE: This is the first part of a two-part note. The second part is Note 7 B.
Charles Mielatz, American, 1864-1919, etching, Chinese Carp, image size 20 x 9 inches, 1887, remarque lower left, pencil signed lower right, published by Klackner, New York.
Lawrence Kupferman, American, 1909-1982, drypoint etching, "Victorian Mansion," image size 14 x 12 7/8 inches, 1939, pencil signed and numbered 22/100.
A Fine Pair of Monotypes by the well regarded Taxco, Mexico Artist, Carl Pappe (1900-98). Each measure about 17 1/2" by 24 1/2" overall. Slight water staining on bottom as shown. Each pencil signed and titled.
These are 3 different “takes” of the kanji for Stone.
Red is Work 74-58 (Stone) ; Green is 76-56 (Stone);
Blue is 76-54 (Stone).
The green one is larger than the other two. All have the striking black sun as one stroke of the kanji.
Haku Maki (1924 to 2000) was an important late 20th Century Japanese printmaker. He created images often using kanji (originally: Chinese characters) as the theme for his prints. He created about 2000 different images. Many are known. Here I present a number of images which I had never seen until this year even as I have gathered many...
Paul Herrmann, German, 1864-1940, etching, "On the Lake," image size 15 1/8 x 11 inches, pencil signed and numbered 119/120
Atsuo Sakazume - Modern Japanese printmaker
Presented - mezzotint entitled - Safari Land Dreams
Image measures 19 1/2" x 25 1/2"
Framed
Measurements with frame - 26" x 30"
Pencil signed and numbered
Excellent condition
Shigeki Kuroda - modern Japanese printmaker
Presented - etching with aquatint entitled - Twilight
Image measures 7" x 11 1/2"
Framed
Measurement with frame 17 1/4" x 21 1/4"
Signed and numbered in pencil
Excellent condition
In 1968 Haku Maki produced this large Blue image of Child. The blue is vivid and the yellow face is in sharp contrast. To the far right is a small Green Child, the same theme, different key color. It appeared in 1969. The red image is a trial run for a Festive Wine print. It never made it. The translators of Festive Wine or Anne Brannen nixed it and used a different Child image, the fifth frame...
Haku Maki produced this “pair” of prints in 1968. The first image is Child. This is the first time Maki produced an image with Child as a theme. Poem 68-52. The second one is his kanji for Water. Poem 68-53. This image was used again in the set of 21 prints he produced for Festive Wine, which was issued in 1969. The colors in both are strikingly beautiful in these images – as they also are as prints. Maki signed each in white ink, something he rarely did...