Gihachiro Okuyama - ヴァン・ゴッホ『筆 古塔』 (Van Gogh - "The Old Church Tower at Nuenen")

Gihachiro Okuyama’s 1957 woodblock 「ヴァン・ゴッホ『筆 古塔』」 (Van Gogh - "The Old Church Tower at Nuenen") transforms Van Gogh’s 1884 oil study of a cemetery tower into layers of carved registration and vibrant colour blocks. This rare self-printed homage marries Post-Impressionist texture with the refined precision of Japanese woodblock technique. 🏰🎨

• Year & Edition: 1957 · Self-printed. Signed, titled, and dated in pencil to margin: 奥山儀八郎自摺 (Okuyama Gihachiro jizuri [self-printed]). Plate reads: ヴァン・ゴッホ筆 古塔 (Van Gogh-painted “Old Tower”). Date appears to read 昭和三十二年七月 (July, Showa 32 / July 1957).
• Medium: Woodblock.
• Dimensions: Sheet H: 31.00 cm × W: 27.50 cm.
• Condition: Beautiful, lovely bright colours, unblemished. Slight browing to margin edge.
• Notes: This collectible impression is part of Okuyama’s celebrated Post-Impressionist homage portfolio - honouring フィンセント・ファン・ゴッホ (Vincent Van Gogh), アンリ・ド・トゥールーズ＝ロートレック (Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec), and セザンヌ (Paul Cézanne). Okuyama meticulously translates Van Gogh’s fluid brushwork and architectural drama from “The Old Church Tower at Nuenen” into the nuanced carving, registration, and rich pigments of traditional Japanese Woodblock, capturing both Western artistic vigour and Eastern craft in one exquisite print.