Tanaka Ryohei, "Counter Light"

An extraordinary amount of work was put into producing this detailed design of a traditional thatched roof (kayabuki) house and its surrounding farmland. The lighting is expertly rendered by the bright sun washing the front of the house, while the trees cast dark shadows on the roof.

Date: 1985
Size: Approx. 10" x 13" (image); 14" x 18" paper
Edition: 115/120
Condition: Small tape verso, otherwise fine/excellent

Tanaka Ryohei (1933-2019) achieved worldwide recognition for his intricately detailed etchings of rural Japan. Some of his most recognized compositions show farmhouses and the thatched-roofs that dominate Japan's countryside. And the fineness in the details of the trees he incorporates into his compositions adds to the allure of his works.