– Maekawa Senpan (1888–1960), pioneer of Japan's Creative Print Movement – From the 'Hot Spring Chronicle' series, 1941 – documenting regional onsen culture – Image size: 21 × 21 cm; sheet size: 31.7 × 30 cm Summary: This is an original 1941 woodblock print by Maekawa Senpan (1888–1960), depicting the hot spring resort of Toi on the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture. Maekawa was a founding figure in the sōsaku hanga ('creative prints') movement and is often grouped with Onchi Kōshirō and Hiratsuka Un'ichi as one of the movement's 'Big Three'. This work comes from his 'Hot Spring Chronicle' series, where Maekawa travelled to regional onsen towns, capturing their distinctive landscapes and architecture through bold compositions and expressive carving. The print shows typical signs of age appropriate to its 1941 production date, adding to its historical character. Maekawa Senpan's career spanned a transformative period in Japanese printmaking. Born in 1888, he came of age as Japanese art was navigating complex crosscurrents between Western influences and traditional practice. Unlike commercial ukiyo-e publishers, who divided labour among designers, carvers, and printers, the sōsaku hanga artists insisted on handling every stage themselves—a radical assertion of individual artistic vision. Maekawa's commitment to this principle remained unwavering throughout his six-decade career, even as the movement itself evolved and fractured. His 'Hot Spring Chronicle' series began during the Second World War, a period when travel within Japan became difficult and paper supplies scarce. Yet Maekawa continued producing prints that documented regional landscapes with both topographical accuracy and personal expression. Toi, on Shizuoka's western coast, was a modest fishing village with thermal springs; Maekawa's depiction likely captures the settlement's characteristic architecture—wooden buildings clinging to steep slopes overlooking Suruga Bay. His approach combined direct observation with bold simplification, reducing complex scenes to essential forms while retaining a strong sense of place. The print's square format and compact scale reflect wartime material constraints but also suit Maekawa's compositional preferences. His carving style is immediately recognisable: confident gouges that leave visible tool marks, creating texture and movement across the surface. This tactile quality distinguishes sōsaku hanga from the smooth precision of commercial ukiyo-e—the carved block becomes a site of visible labour, not invisible craft. Maekawa printed his blocks with deliberate pressure variations, allowing pigment to pool in carved recesses and fade along raised edges, producing subtle tonal gradations within each colour area. By 1941, when this print was made, Maekawa had established himself as one of Japan's most respected printmakers. He exhibited regularly with the Japan Print Association and taught younger artists, helping define sōsaku hanga's aesthetic principles even as the movement itself fragmented into competing schools and philosophies. His work from this period carries particular historical resonance—prints made during global conflict, documenting peaceful domestic landscapes with quiet persistence. For European collectors, Maekawa's prints offer several appeals. They represent a crucial chapter in twentieth-century Japanese art, when traditional woodblock technique was reimagined as a vehicle for personal expression. The 'Hot Spring Chronicle' series, with its focus on regional Japan, documents a landscape largely vanished through postwar development. And as surviving examples from 1941 become increasingly scarce, works like this Toi print carry both aesthetic and documentary value. The print's age-related characteristics—gentle foxing, subtle toning—speak honestly to its journey through eight decades, adding layers of history to Maekawa's original image. Shipping & Handling We ship worldwide via DHL or EMS with full insurance and tracking. Professional packing ensures safe arrival; combined shipping available for multiple wins. Local customs duties are the buyer's responsibility. Seller Guarantee We specialise in authentic Japanese prints and guarantee this piece's authenticity. Questions welcome – we reply within 24 hours.