Artist: Pieter Irwin Brown
Medium: Original Japanese Woodblock Print
Series Title: Japan
Edition: First and only
Date: 1937
Publisher: S. Watanabe Color Print Co.
Reference No.: The New Wave; pgs. 219-221
Size: 11 x 15 -3/4 "
Condition: Very fine
Notes:
Signed in pencil by the artist; lower left. Stamped on the reverse, "Made in Japan". Within the starkness of this winter scene, three figures huddle together, seeking shared warmth in anticipation of escaping the piercing chill.
Pieter Irwin Brown was a European artist who contributed to the shin hanga movement during the 1930's. Born in Rotterdam of Dutch and Irish parentage, Pieter studied art from childhood, first with a private tutor and later at the local art school.
In the early 1930's, Brown made a short visit to Egypt and then travelled to Indonesia, staying on the island of Java for two years. He supported himself by working as a freelance artist and illustrator. By 1934, he was on the move again - this time to Japan. When he arrived, Brown was immediately struck by the beauty and history inherent in the Japanese landscape. From his home in Kyoto, Brown made trips to China, Manchuria, and Korea. One of the places that especially interested him was Jehol, located in the northwest Chinese province of Hebei.