Hiroshi Yoshida (1876-1950), Fuji Above Yoshida Village, (Shimo-Yoshida), graphite, ink and watercolor on J. Whatman English watercolor paper; titled at lower right, SHIMO-YOSHIDA, and signed, H. YOSHIDA, ca. 1902-07, 13 3/8 by 20 1/4 in., (33.9 by 51.3 cm)

March 14 – 22, 2024
Asia Week Hours: Mar 14-22, 11am-5pm (appointments appreciated)
145 West 58th Street, Suite 6D

Scholten Japanese Art is pleased to present COLLECTING THE MASTER: The Binnie Collection of Hiroshi Yoshida Paintings, assembled by the prominent contemporary woodblock printmaker, Paul Binnie for this 15th year of Asia Week New York.

Hiroshi Yoshida (1876-1950) was a Japanese artist, painter and printmaker, widely known throughout the world for his woodblock printed work. Part of the shin- hanga (lit. ‘new print’) movement of the first half of the twentieth century, Yoshida’s prints were produced in the same way as earlier ukiyo-e (lit. ‘pictures of the floating world’); woodblocks would be carved by a specialist artisan following the design of an artist, and then printed in colors by a specialist printer, all under the direction of a publisher, who then undertook to sell the finished product. However, in Yoshida’s case, he eventually employed the carvers and printers directly, acting as his own publisher and even occasionally carving and printing himself.

Aside from this well-known print career, Yoshida had a very active life as a painter and exhibited in a range of Japanese government-sponsored exhibitions, private art society group shows, and commercial galleries. He also exhibited widely embarking on trips to the United States and Europe in his early twenties. Along with friend and fellow-painter, Nakagawa Hachiro (1877-1922), they arranged several exhibitions, primarily of their watercolors, at museums and galleries in the Midwest and New England to great acclaim. Yoshida would continue to make several trips to capture the natural landscapes throughout the United States and Europe.

Hiroshi Yoshida, 1876-1950, New York, (Nyu yoruku), oil on canvas; signed at lower left, H. Yoshida, ca. January – February 1924, painting 24 1/4 by 18 1/4 in., 61.5 by 46.2 cm, frame 29 3/4 by 23 5/8 in., 75.5 by 60 cm

A natural leader and innovator, Yoshida was arguably one of the most influential artists in his time and among later generations as well, as evidenced by this collection. The Scottish artist and printmaker Paul Binnie (b. 1967) began to build a collection of Yoshida woodblock prints and original paintings and drawings around 1989, when he purchased his first landscape print by the earlier master. In addition to the scrolls and fan paintings which feature subjects and motifs seen in Yoshida’s printed works, such as boats on the Inland Sea, and views of Mount Fuji, The Binnie Collection of Hiroshi Yoshida Paintings offers two drawings, four watercolors and eight oil paintings, including the original canvases for three of Yoshida’s woodblock prints, Breithorn, Ghats at Benares and New York.

To learn more, click here.