Roofs of Paris

Hamaguchi Yozo is internationally known as a master of copperplate printmaking. In 1957, he became the first Japanese artist to take home the grand prize in the international printmaking category at the São Paulo Art Biennial, and he won numerous other awards at print exhibitions worldwide. Hamaguchi’s color mezzotints are particularly esteemed. Mezzotint, an etching process once primarily used for painting reproductions in the 17th century, had waned to oblivion with the advent of photography. Hamaguchi revitalized the mezzotint technique and added color to achieve a new mode of expression. His innovation earned high praise, including for this work, Roofs of Paris. Hamaguchi had deep ties to Chiba Prefecture, his family having long been in the soy sauce brewing business, and his early years spent in Choshi, Chiba. (U.M.)