“Figure with Snow Falling”

“Figure with Snow Falling” by Takahashi Hiroaki depicts a man in traditional Japanese winter clothes making his way in falling snow trudging by trees and hills covered in the snow towards the traditional Japanese buildings in the background. Takahashi Hiroaki also was known as Shōtei (高橋松亭) was a 20th-century Japanese woodblock artist in the shin-hanga art movement.

Takahashi Hiroaki was trained in Nihonga or “Japanese-style painting,” which is painting made following traditional Japanese artistic conventions, techniques, and materials. Takahashi’s work attempts to capture cultural and everyday life. He dedicated much of his time to paintings for exhibitions and illustrations for publications. His nostalgic “Old Japan” art is highly sought after by Western collectors.

Figure with Snow Falling

Title: Figure with Snow Falling (Sangaku no bosetsu)
Artist: Takahashi Hiroaki or Takahashi Shōtei
Dates: c. 1940
Materials: Color woodblock prints on paper
Origins: Japan
Dimensions: 38 x 16.5cm
Museum: Queensland Art Gallery

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“Figure with Parasol, Protect against Snow”

“Figure with Parasol, Protect against Snow” by Takahashi Hiroaki depicts a woman in traditional Japanese winter clothes with Parasol to protect her against the snow, making her way along a fence. Takahashi Hiroaki also was known as Shōtei (高橋松亭) was a 20th-century Japanese woodblock artist in the ‘shin hanga’ art movement.

In 1907, as a successful artist, Takahashi Hiroaki was recruited by Shōzaburō Watanabe to contribute to the ‘shin hanga’ or “new prints” art movement in Japan. Watanabe helped to fulfill the Western demand for Ukiyo-e woodblock prints, which were similar to the historical masters of that genre, including Hiroshige. In 1923 the Great Kanto earthquake and fire destroyed Watanabe’s facilities, which included all the Shin Hanga woodblocks. Takahashi had to recreate the designs destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake, and he also continued to produce new woodblocks.

Takahashi Hiroaki

Hiroaki used a variety of names, signatures, and seals during his lifetime. From 1907 until 1922, he used the name Shotei and after 1922 Hiroaki or Komei. Takahashi Hiroaki was visiting his daughter in Hiroshima during the summer of 1945. At 8:15 on the morning of August 6, 1945, the Enola Gay, a Boeing B-29 bomber, dropped the first atomic bomb in the history of civilization over Hiroshima and the great ‘shin hanga’ artist was never seen again.

Figure with Parasol, Protect against Snow (Secchu zakura)

Title: Figure with Parasol, Protect against Snow (Secchu zakura)
Artist: Takahashi Hiroaki or Takahashi Shōtei
Dates: c. 1940
Materials: Color woodblock prints on paper
Origins: Japan
Dimensions: 38 x 16.5cm
Museum: Queensland Art Gallery

Takahashi Hiroaki

Hiroaki used a variety of names, signatures, and seals during his lifetime. From 1907 until 1922, he used the name Shotei and after 1922 Hiroaki or Komei. Takahashi Hiroaki was visiting his daughter in Hiroshima during the summer of 1945. At 8:15 on the morning of August 6, 1945, the Enola Gay, a Boeing B-29 bomber dropped the first atomic bomb in the history of civilization over Hiroshima, and the great ‘shin hanga’ artist was never seen again.

Takahashi Hiroaki

Title: Takahashi Hiroaki or Takahashi Shōtei
Birth: 1871 – Tokyo, Japan
Death: 1945 – Hiroshima, Japan
Nationality: Japanese
Movement: Shin Hanga
Notable Works:
- Figure with Snow Falling
- Figure with Parasol, Protect against Snow