YOSHIDA HIROSHI (1876-1950)

In the autumn of 1920, Watanabe Shozaburo commissioned Yoshida's first work—prints commemorating the completion of the Meiji Shrine. This initial venture led to a total of eight collaborative efforts until 1921. The devastating Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 destroyed Watanabe's shop and all the woodblocks stored therein. In a bid to support his fellow artists, Yoshida transported approximately 800 works to the U.S. to seek additional revenue streams. Among these, the prints by Hasui and Shinsui issued by Watanabe garnered more attention than any other items Yoshida presented. Bolstered by this experience, upon his return to Japan after a European tour in 1925, Yoshida began producing self-printed prints. Some of these prints featured the same compositions as those in Watanabe's editions, including the Sailing Boats series.