Tree at Evening (Red) - Joichi Hoshi

Artist: Joichi Hoshi (1913–1979)

Title: Tree at Evening (Red) / Evening Tree (Red)

Medium: Original color woodblock print

Edition: Original signed impression

Date: 1970s

Signature: Pencil signed “Joichi Hoshi” lower right

Inscription: Japanese title inscribed in pencil lower left

Artist’s Seal: Printed seal within image, lower right

Size: Small-format print — 9 X 6.5 in

This original Japanese woodblock print by Joichi Hoshi depicts a solitary tree illuminated against a richly textured golden background. Hoshi’s characteristic layering of gold, ochre, crimson, and dark brown gives the image an almost luminous quality, transforming the simple tree into a monumental and contemplative presence.

The print is hand-signed in pencil by Joichi Hoshi at lower right, with the Japanese title inscribed in pencil at lower left and Hoshi’s seal incorporated into the image. This is an original lifetime impression, not a reproduction.

Hoshi became particularly celebrated for his highly individual images of trees during the final decade of his career. Rather than treating them simply as landscape subjects, he isolated individual trees against expanses of metallic color, emphasizing their structure, age, and personality. His sophisticated use of overprinting and metallic pigments gives these works a distinctive surface that can change dramatically depending on the light.

This smaller-format example has much of the visual character of Hoshi’s larger tree prints in a particularly intimate scale. The warm gold ground and deep reddish foliage create a striking autumnal effect.

Inscriptions & Marks:

• Pencil signed Joichi Hoshi lower right
• Japanese title inscribed in pencil lower left
• Hoshi artist seal within the image at lower right
• Original color woodblock print
• Lifetime impression

Condition: Good. The sheet shows light toning consistent with age, with some discoloration/matting around the image area and margins. There is a visible crease or handling mark within the right side of the image and minor surface wear. Colors remain rich, with strong metallic gold and deep red and brown tones. Please review all photographs carefully, as they form part of the condition description.

About the Artist: Joichi Hoshi (1913–1979) was one of the important Japanese woodblock artists of the postwar period. After studying at the Tokyo University of the Arts, Hoshi developed an immediately recognizable printmaking style characterized by dense textures, metallic pigments, and carefully layered color. Although he worked with a variety of subjects, he is best known for the solitary trees that dominated his work during the 1970s.

Hoshi's tree prints are among his most sought-after works. Their combination of traditional Japanese woodblock technique with a distinctly modern, almost abstract approach to color and texture has made his work popular with collectors of both sōsaku-hanga and postwar Japanese printmaking.

Authenticity: This is an original Joichi Hoshi woodblock print, pencil signed by the artist, rather than a later reproduction or photomechanical print. The visible woodgrain, layered printing, metallic ground, pencil signature and artist’s seal are consistent with Hoshi’s original printed works.