Elizabeth Keith, "Where the Beggars Sleep"

Located west of Shanghai, Soochow (Suzhou) is set along a major trade route in China and an important center of foreign trade and commerce. This atmospheric design shows an underpass with people tending to their belongings. As the title suggests, Keith likely wanted to document the city's poor and informal living areas. Texture in the stone is illustrated using heavy pressure on the baren during printing.

Date: 1924
Size: Oban
Pencil-signed; first and only edition
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo
Condition: Light spots top margin, otherwise fine color and condition
Suggested Mat/Frame Size: 18" x 24" (not shown)

Elizabeth Keith (1887-1956) was a Scottish printmaker who documented her travels in Japan, China, Korea, and Southeast Asia through woodblock prints, paintings, and etchings. A number of her woodblock prints were produced in collaboration with Watanabe Shozaburo in the early 20th century.