Items Similar to Daitokuji Temple Wood Block by Kiyoshi Saito - Limited Edition
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 11
Kiyoshi SaitōDaitokuji Temple Wood Block by Kiyoshi Saito - Limited Edition1960s
1960s
About the Item
As a component of the broader ukiyo-e tradition, woodblock prints (known as Hanga) showcase an evolution from craft to a significant art form. Among the myriad printmakers, Kiyoshi Saito ( 1907 – 1997) is a luminary known for his innovative contributions to the Sōsaku-hanga movement. A fusion of innate talent, technical expertise, and acquired mastery propelled him on a creative journey celebrated worldly between simplicity and elegance, where subject matter, technique, and meaning converge to unravel Japanese cultural mysteries.
His portrayal of Daitokuji Temple epitomizes technical prowess and poetic expression facilitated by this approach. The temple, a sprawling walled complex in northern Kyoto, features distinctive trees and stones carved into the ground, with gravel alleys raked in precise patterns. The minimalist emphasis on textures and tones from the ground to the trees celebrates the wood's natural grain, echoing the philosophy of Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi, where beauty resides in imperfection, impermanence, and incompleteness.
Woodblock printing demands meticulous attention to detail. Saito manages every stage of the print, from conception to execution, as a creator rather than just a diligent craftsman. Beyond excellence, Saito's work resonates with us through its dreamy undertones—the interplay of light and shadow, complex textures, and details nuanced by the unpredictability of this technique. The result is a visual, rhythmic Haiku. Saito aims to represent his visual world accurately, evoking its beauty in its most modest form, magnifying the natural wear and tear of time and the attraction of things that have lived.
Encounters with influential figures in the Japanese art world marked Saito’s formative years. He studied Western-style oil painting at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts under Kiyokata Kaburagi, a prominent artist and ukiyo-e revivalist. Exposure to traditional and modern techniques enabled Saito to develop a unique artistic vision, blending traditional Japanese aesthetics with contemporary sensibilities.
One of the significant turning points in Saito’s career came in 1932 when he encountered the works of Shiko Munakata, a renowned woodblock print artist. Munakata’s bold and expressive approach to printmaking profoundly impacted Saito, leading him to embrace a more individualistic and experimental style. Saito drew inspiration from Munakata’s use of simplified forms and bold lines, which became defining characteristics of his artistic expression.
Saito’s artistic style underwent further transformation during a visit to Europe in the 1950s. Exposed to the works of Western artists, including the German Expressionists and the Fauvists, Saito incorporated elements of Western modernism into his prints. He experimented with color and composition, moving away from the traditional Japanese woodblock print conventions and pushing the boundaries of the medium.
Throughout his career, Saito’s prints often depicted landscapes, traditional Japanese architecture, and scenes of rural life. His compositions displayed a harmonious balance of form, color, and texture, frequently achieved through meticulous carving and printing techniques.
His work can be seen at the Cincinnati Art Museum, Greater Victoria Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Denver Art Museum, Art Institute of Chicago, Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art, and many others.
I added a picture of the matching lithograph that you can find in another listing.
- Creator:Kiyoshi Saitō (1907 - 1997, Japanese)
- Creation Year:1960s
- Dimensions:Height: 17 in (43.18 cm)Width: 22 in (55.88 cm)Depth: 0.5 in (1.27 cm)
- Medium:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Pasadena, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU654314152352
Kiyoshi Saitō
Kiyoshi Saito was born in Fukushima Prefecture in 1907. At the age of five, he moved to Otaru in Hokkaido, where he would come to serve as an apprentice to a sign painter. Saito became infatuated with art after studying drawing with Gyokusen Narita and moved to Tokyo in 1932 to study Western-style painting at the Hongo Painting Institute. He began experimenting with woodblock prints and exhibiting his works with Nihon Hanga Kyōkai in 1936. Saito mainly worked in oil painting until his invitation from Tadashige Ono to join the Zokei Hanga Kyokai in 1938, at which time Saito made the woodblock print his primary medium. He worked with the Asahi Newspaper Company in 1943, where he met Kōshirō Onchi. This chance encounter led to an invitation to Ichimoku Kai and membership to Nihon Hanga Kyōkai in 1944.
Saito’s printmaking career was put on hold due to the war. During the occupation, he sold his first print in an exhibit with fellow artists Un’ichi Hiratsuka and Hide Kawanishi. In 1948, Saito exhibited at the Salon Printemps, an event sponsored by Americans for Japanese Artists. At the Sao Paulo Biennale of 1951, Saito won first place for his print Steady Gaze. In competition with Japanese oil painting and sculpture, this was a turning point for Japanese printmakers: For the first time in Japanese history, prints overtook painting. This achievement roused the Japanese art establishment. In 1956, Saito was sponsored by the state department and the Asia Foundation to travel and exhibit around the United States and Europe. As a sōsaku-hangaartist, Saito’s prints are self-drawn, self-carved and self-printed. His early works are distinguished by an attention to realism and three-dimensionality. As his style evolved, his prints became flattened and two-dimensional, featuring strong and refined designs with color and texture. Kiyoshi Saito passed away in 1997.
About the Seller
5.0
Vetted Seller
These experienced sellers undergo a comprehensive evaluation by our team of in-house experts.
Established in 1999
1stDibs seller since 2017
51 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 16 hours
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Pasadena, CA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
More From This SellerView All
- Kaminoyama Jokoji Temple by Kiyoshi Saito- Limited EditionBy Kiyoshi SaitōLocated in Pasadena, CAWhat if art was simply the mirror of life, a reflection of the multitude of our existence and perception of our environment? Around the world, printing has become an essential part o...Category
Mid-20th Century Landscape Prints
MaterialsWoodcut
- "Sand Dunes" Sepia Landscape Etching by Ruth LeafBy Ruth LeafLocated in Pasadena, CARuth Leaf (1923-2015) was an American artist and a Pioneer in the discipline of printmaking, specifically etching. She authored the book, “Etching, Engraving and Other Intaglio Printmaking Techniques” (Watson-Guptil Publications) in 1976 while teaching at her namesake studio in Long Island and it remains the textbook used today in many schools. This etching is signed and numbered 34/60. The etching sits in a beautiful organic carved raw wood...Category
Mid-20th Century Land Landscape Prints
MaterialsWood, Paper, Etching
- "The Bridge over the Seine Near Argenteuil" Oil Reproduction after Claude MonetBy (after) Claude MonetLocated in Pasadena, CAThis framed reproduction of Claude Monet's immensely popular painting, “The Bridge Over The Seine Near Argenteuil,” comes with a certificate of authenticity on the back and is numbered 1102, making it interesting for several reasons. The artagraphic process used to produce this work in a limited edition of 2900 is considered the state-of-the-art in art reproduction and the most respectful approach to reproducing a painting by a master. In three steps, this technique creates a 3D replica of an original oil painting's color and surface texture. Colors are scanned with a digital laser and then printed separately using oil-based inks on a single sheet. A mold is created from the original painting to reproduce its surface texture and bas-relief brushstrokes. Unlike lithographs and serigraphs, there is a palpable material and relief if you run your fingers over the surface. At the Impressionist group's first exhibition in 1874, Claude Monet demonstrated his deep interest in the motif by working on seven depictions of the Argenteuil bridge and four of the railroad bridge upstream. The artwork depicts Monet's immediate impressions of the scene rather than offering detailed realism. In these series, moored sailboats occupy the foreground, while the fluidity of the river melts harmoniously with the geometrically contrasted presence of the bridge and its imposing pillars. Monet manipulates his palette and complementary color schemes to create the illusion of light and movement through small, separate, and visible brushstrokes, making it one of the artist's most recognizable signatures. The painting displays a diversity of styles, with some elements more solid, having strong and distinct lines and structured forms defined by firm contours, while the water and the sky in the background give off an impression of moving space, floating, and ripples. An original painting of the series can be seen at Musée d'Orsay in Paris, France...Category
Late 19th Century Impressionist Landscape Prints
MaterialsInk, Oil
- Nonobjective “Sosaku Hanga” Woodblock Print by Toshi YoshidaBy Toshi Yoshida 1Located in Pasadena, CAToshi Yoshida's Materia is a stunning mid-century color woodblock print. Hand-signed, dated, and numbered 8/30 by the artist in 1962. Thisimpressive pie...Category
1960s More Prints
MaterialsWoodcut
- Chinese Silk Screen LithographLocated in Pasadena, CAMidcentury colorful representation of 4 coy fish by Chinese artist (signed and dated). Painted on silk. Framed and exhibited in Honk Kong. Numbered 13/30.Category
1980s Animal Prints
MaterialsSilk, Paint, Lithograph
- "Jornada Triunfo De La Revolucion" Original Dedicated PosterLocated in Pasadena, CAThis very proud and strong poster expresses the country's liberation cast off the chains and oppressions. It was a gift to a friend and is hand dedicated. (at the bottom) On the righ...Category
1970s Prints and Multiples
MaterialsWood, Paper
You May Also Like
- TreesBy Nicolas PartyLocated in London, GBWoodcut on BFK Rives paper, produced in 2020. Edition of 100. Mint condition, unframed. Signed and numbered in pencil by Nicolas Party.Category
2010s Contemporary Landscape Prints
MaterialsWoodcut
- Japanese Woodblock - Street SceneLocated in Houston, TXLively Japanese woodblock print featuring street life. Ink on paper, circa 1860. Original artwork on paper displayed on a white mat with a gold ...Category
1860s Landscape Prints
MaterialsWoodcut, Paper
- ‘Black Birds Gathering’By Sasa MarkinkovLocated in Bournemouth, Dorset‘Black Birds Gathering’ 2018 Image 38 x 56 cm woodcut (available from edition of 40. 30 prints) Artist’s statement My preferred method of making images is through relief printmaking. I like exploring this expressive language in a dialogue between positive and negative, representation and abstraction, control and accident. I use lino...Category
2010s Naturalistic Landscape Prints
MaterialsWoodcut
- Desert - Original Woodcut by Marcel Gaillard - 1918By Marcel GaillardLocated in Roma, ITDesert is a beautiful black and white xylograph on ivory colored paper, by the French landscapist Marcel Gaillard (1886 -1947). This original print, representing an oriental buildin...Category
1910s Modern Landscape Prints
MaterialsWoodcut
- Port of New Orleans - Original Woodcut Print - 1870Located in Roma, ITAmerica is an original artwork realized around 1830. Original black and white woodcut. Image dimensions 11.8 x 15.6 cm. Quite good conditions except for foxings especially along th...Category
1870s Modern Figurative Prints
MaterialsWoodcut
- Orleans (New Orleans) - Original Woodcut - 1848Located in Roma, ITImage dimensions: 8.3 x 13.7 cm. Orleans is a beautiful black and white xylograph on paper, realized in 1848 by Biyandt. Signed on plate on the lower right margin. Title in German on plate, on lower margin at the center and in Gothic font. With an excellent game of lights and shadows and a good final effects of tones, this original print representing a colonial building in the New Orleans city...Category
1840s Modern Figurative Prints
MaterialsWoodcut
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Ways To Browse
Vintage Temple
Carved Wood Block
Limited Edition Wear
Wood Temple
Vintage Wood Block
Vintage Wood Blocks
Mid Century Block Art
Temple Stone
Japanese Wood Block
Wood Blocking Japanese
Chicago 1907
Japanese Craftsman
Wood Landscape Carvings
Japanese Wood Temple
Propellor Vintage
Mid Century Wood Block Print
Japanese Woodblock Beauties
Woodcut Arts Crafts