TSUCHIYA KOITSU (1870-1949), BENKEI BRIDGEBy Tsuchiya Koitsu (1870-1949), signed Koitsu with seal ‘Shinsei’Japan, dated 1933Color woodblock print on paper. Vertical Oban. Signed Koitsu with ‘Shinsei’ seal on the bottom right corner of the image. With Doi Hangaten publisher watermark ‘Doi’ located on the top-left corner. Entitled Benkei Bashi (Benkei Bridge) from the series Tokyo Fukei (Views of Tokyo). Vertical inscription along the right margin.A beautiful bridge illuminated by streetlights on a spring evening with trees in full bloom.SIZE of the sheet 40 x 26.5 cmCondition: Great impression, registration and vivid colors. Wear commensurate with age with two minor binding holes on the left margin.Tsuchiya Koitsu (1870-1949) was a renowned landscape artist and a student of the famous Meiji-era print designer Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847-1915). He gained prominence as a designer of shin hanga (New Prints) for major woodblock print publishers from the early 1930s to 1940. Tsuchiya Koitsu's prints were known for their dramatic use of light and interesting color effects, influenced by his teacher Kiyochika. While some critics praised his work, noting its quality on par with famous shin hanga landscape artists like Kawase Hasui, Kasamatsu Shiro, and Yoshida Hiroshi, others criticized his heavy-handed design and unconventional color sensibility.