Ginnosuke YOKOUCHI (1870-1942). Lively boats on the river. Watercolor and gouache highlights on laid paper signed lower right, framed. Dimensions (as seen): 32.8x49.2 cm. Yokouchi Kiyoharu, also known as Yokouchi Ginnosuke, lived in Yokohama and made mostly watercolors, but we have no details of his life. He was the best sculptor/printer of the Shin Hanga movement. His skills have not been matched. The ability to engrave and print to the highest standards set by the Master was entrusted to only one person, Ginnosuke Yokouchi. While his contemporaries Kawase Hasui and Hiroshi Yoshida were gaining recognition for their association with publisher Watanabe, Yokouchi was still perfecting his art. Prior to their careers as wood engravers, Yokouchi, Hasui and Yoshida were all recognized as accomplished watercolorists, each with a unique style that was reflected in their work. Yokouchi's complex images are closely related to the complexity of his watercolors. This is obvious when you look at his woodcuts. His style is "tight" and "complex". With the addition of tiny droplets of color to highlight a wet or damp area, the print or painting would come to life. When you realize that each tiny dot of color represents an individually raised part of the printing block, you begin to understand and appreciate its highly developed level of engraving. Apart from a few sculptors at Kawaguchi & Sakai, no other sculptor has reached his level of skill. All his printed editions have very realistic drama with perfect perspective. Not only did he paint what he saw, but he had the ability to translate these images into woodcuts, which is more difficult. His engravings are the "Gold standard" of Japanese woodcuts.