Portrait of the Poet Hagiwara Sakutaro (1886–1942), Author of “Ice Island,” 1943

This portrait was done as a tribute to Hagiwara Sakutaro one year after the poet’s death. The dark tones and wrinkled skin of the subject make for a disturbing image, which is in keeping with Hagiwara’s tendency toward depression brought on by the realities of war. This portrait has been hailed as one of the most powerful prints produced by a 20th-century Japanese artist, and several other editions were later printed in 1949 and 1987.
Included on the finished print are Onchi Koshiro’s notes on the printing process to his fellow artist Sekino Junichiro. The additional set of prints shows the steps involved in attaining the completed image that Sekino printed from blocks made by his mentor.