Early Autumn at Horyuji Temple, Nara

Hiratsuka Un’ichi was one of the major figures to emerge from the sosaku hanga (creative print) movement in Japan. He taught printmaking at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts from the inception of its Department of Printmaking in 1935. His mature period is characterized by prints done only in black ink, a style that sprung from his appreciation for the Japanese traditions of ink painting and line drawing.His subjects vary greatly but include Buddhist images, monuments, and portraits of friends and family members. His large depictions of temple buildings and their grounds, such as this print, rank among his best-known works.