Female Figure
1959
A contemporary of Yanagi Soetsu and Hamada Shoji, Munakata Shiko was an artist who was closely associated with the sosaku hanga movement (prints designed, carved, and printed by the artist) in addition to the Mingei movement. While sosaku hanga was particularly focused on prints, its focus on individual artists was compatible with Yanagi Soetsu’s vision of a humble craftsperson who almost unconsciously produced art. In this print, the figure is bold and resists naturalizing details, but the artist has emphasized the form with diagonal lines in various spots on the body to denote a sense of shape.
Woodblock print
15 1/4 x 12 in. (38.7 x 30.5 cm)
Gift of the Estate of Robert M. Shields
2013.4.7
Photo: Elizabeth Mann
