About This Print

Source: Contemporary Japanese Prints, MichiakiKawakita, pub. by Kodansha Int’l, 1967, p. 38-39. 
“Since1950, Takahashi, who was a pupil of Onchi Koshiro (1891-1955), has been exhibitinghis work with the Japan Print Association.  In Kyoto Evocations¹ [Lyric of Kyoto], he adopts a kind of lyrical-abstract approach, derived inpart from his master, which combines flowing, fretted shapes toevoke the classic grace and urbanity of Kyoto.  The coloring, in itsrestrained richness, was probably inspired by the ancient capital.”

There were likely two states of this image, the first printed in 1960 and the second, possibly, in1971 or 1972. See below images from Catalogue Raisonné and LACMAcollection.  The print in this collection does not carry an edition number, although the Catalogue Raisonné entry below lists the edition size as fifty prints.

¹ It is unknown why Kawakita has referred to this print as Kyoto Evocations in his book.  (See image on right below.)

Catalogue Raisonné Entry and Reference Images

Print Details

IHL Catalog	#131
Title	京都の抒情 [in Japanese]; The Lyric in Kyoto [in English]
Series	Kyoto
Artist	Takahashi Rikio (1917-1998)
Signature	Pencil signed by artist - Rikio taka
Seal	none
Date	1960
Edition	unnumberedbut Catalogue Raisonné lists the edition as 50. There were likely two states of this image, the first printed in 1960 and the second, possibly, in1971 or 1972. See above images from Catalogue Raisonné and LACMAcollection.
Publisher	self-published
Impression	excellent
Colors	very good
Condition	good- some tape remnants in the margins, both front and back, and thinningwhere tape was removed. Some small tears in paper inside image repairedwith paper tape.  Minor paper toning.
Genre	sosaku hanga (creative print)
Miscellaneous	Kawakita in the book Contemporary Japanese Prints, lists the title of this print as Kyoto Evocations which may only be an issue of a variant translation from the original Japanese. Clearly it is the same print as Lyric in Kyoto.
Format
H x W Paper	34 7/8 x 23 7/8 in. (88.7 x 60.7 cm)
H x W Image	33 1/2 x 22 in. (85.1 x 55.9 cm)  (“H” dimension includes signature.)
Collections This Print	Los Angeles County Museum of Art M.81.267.21
Reference Literature	Catalogue Raisonné: Rikio Takahashi, The Woodblock Prints, published by Abe Publishing LTD., 1998, p. 128 number 105, color pl. p. 37; Contemporary Japanese Prints, MichiakiKawakita, Kodansha International, 1967, plate on p.39.