“Hi no Tori” (Firebird)
Date
circa 1912
Credits
- Hiromitsu Nakazawa Illustrator
Format
- Illustration 332
- Program 75
- Hardcover Book 54
Media
- paper 1701
Techniques
- printing 669
Dimensions
4 × 7 in
Year: unknown (est. 1912-1926)
Format: ballet or book illustration
Media: Print
Technique(s): Woodblock
Dimensions: 7 inches x 3.9 inches
Designer Overview
Hiromitsu Nakazawa
1874-1964
Japan
Hiromitsu Nakazawa was born in Tokyo in 1874. He graduated from the Tokyo School of Fine Arts in 1990, where he studied under Kuroda Seiki. Nakazawa is recognized as one of the earliest moku hanga artists who designed, carved, and printed his woodblock prints himself. He is prominently recognized among collectors of Japanese prints for his renowned artwork, “Heroine Matsukaze,” also known as “Diver Girl” or “Mermaid.”
This illustration is most likely for the “L’oiseau de Feu” (Firebird), a ballet scored by Igor Stravinsky for the Sergei Diagelev’s ballet company in 1910, or a book illustration for the Russian fold take with the same title about the magical bird. The Art Nouveau style in Japan was prevalent in the early 20th century.