NAOKO MATSUBARA Japanese Signed Limited Ed Thoreau Inspired Woodblock SOLITUDE

Matsubara Naoko (Japanese, active Canada, born 1937). Solitude, Decaying Beauty, Wind, Spring Visitor, Thoreau, Drop of Life, from the portfolio Solitude, 1971. Signed and limited edition 4/100 at lower right. Simple frame measures 19" x 21 1/2", woodblock measures 12 1/2" x 15". Excellent condition.

“Artist Matsubara Naoko created this portfolio of woodcuts while visiting Walden Pond over the course of a year. Her title comes from Henry David’s Thoreau’s essay ‘Solitude’ (1854), written during his two-year period of self-isolation. In these expressive images, she captures the fleeting moments of daily life spent alone. She also seems to understand both the sharpness and richness of genuine solitude. A willow weeping over its own watery reflection is simultaneously majestic and yet full of pathos. An empty chair is a poignant reminder of those whose absence we feel most keenly.

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