Koichi Sakamoto - 集落 (Village)

A fabulous print by Koichi Sakamoto: 集落 (Village). Thatched rooftops lie buried under a soft layer of snow, as a mountain village settles into winter quiet. Bare trees trace shadows across the white ground, and a pale blue sky hangs above the distant ridge. The houses recede in gentle tiers, their forms almost blending into the landscape. A beautifully restrained composition, capturing the rhythm and stillness of Japan’s rural winter. ❄️🏔️🏡

• Year & Edition: 1977 · H.C. (signed, titled & editioned in pencil).
• Medium: Etching & Aquatint.
  
• Dimensions: Sheet H: 38.00 cm × W: 56.50 cm; Image H: 24.75 cm × W: 35.50 cm.
  
• Condition: Beautiful. Paper clean & crisp; slight handling to upper right margin.
  
• Notes: H.C. (hors commerce) edition. From the later decades of the 20th century, Sakamoto became especially known for his winter scenes - snow-covered thatched roofs and bare trees rendered in soft detail, conveying a meditative stillness.

About the Artist

Koichi Sakamoto (b.1932, Utsunomiya) is a Japanese printmaker known for his fine etchings & mezzotints depicting rural homes, birds, and quiet seasonal landscapes. A longtime exhibitor with the Japan Print Association and Shunyōkai, his postwar works are held in major museum collections in Japan and abroad. His snowbound villages and delicate natural subjects evoke a deep sense of stillness & reflection. [ ← View All Works by Koichi Sakamoto]