Ono tadashige biography of william

Ono Tadashige stands as a prominent figure in Japanese postwar printmaking. His artistic style reflects a profound influence from the social-critical print movement of the 1920s and 1930s in Germany, Russia, China, and Japan, known as the "proletarian and farmers art movement."

Biography of Ono Tadashige

Renowned artist Ono Tadashige was born on January 19, 1909, in Tokyo, Japan. He studied art at the Hongo Art Institute from 1924 to 1927 and graduated in 1941 from the department of Japanese and Chinese languages at Hosei University Higher Normal School. From an early age, he actively participated in the sosaku hanga and proletarian art movements.

Following World War II, Tadashige's international career thrived. His prints gained acclaim at prominent International Print Biennials, such as the 1957 event in Tokyo and the 1961 exhibition in Moscow. He also served as a visiting professor at leading Japanese institutions, including Tokyo University of Fine Arts, Aichi University of Fine Arts, Hiroshima University, and Utsunomiya University.

Tadashige authored several books about modern Japanese hanga and one focused on Chinese prints. He passed away on October 17, 1990.

Prints - Style and Technique

Ono Tadashige's early works, created before World War II, were deeply influenced by the social-critical movements of German Expressionism and artistic trends in Russia. These movements resonated with critical intellectual groups such as Luxun in China.

Japan had its own parallel movement led by Kanae Yamamoto (1882-1946), the pioneer of the sosaku hanga movement. Yamamoto's exposure to the Russian Revolution during a 1916 stopover in Moscow significantly influenced his ideologies. He later championed utopian socialist ideas, founding initiatives like the "Japan Children's Free Painting Society" and the "Farmers' Art Movement."

This historical backdrop profoundly shaped Ono Tadashige's artistic vision. After the Pacific War, while Tadashige's passion for proletarian revolution diminished, his focus on industrialized environments remained consistent.

Tadashige's preferred subjects were urban landscapes of industrialized areas, featuring factories with towering chimneys and canals with tugboats. Instead of romanticizing Japan, Tadashige captured the realities of its industrial cities.

His technique reflected his subject matter. He used somber colors, primarily dark browns and blacks. Breaking traditional methods, Tadashige began his process by darkening the paper with black ink. He then added lighter colors, creating an opaque effect that became a hallmark of his art.

Tips for Collectors

Although Ono Tadashige aimed to create prints without conventional aesthetic appeal, his works have achieved significant value in the art market. In 2018, his prints typically sold for prices ranging between $500 and $1,000.

Woodblock Prints by Ono Tadashige

The prints on display are from our archive of sold Japanese art objects.

Author:
Dieter Wanczura, revised by AI
First Publication: 6/13/2005
Latest Update: 12/30/2024

Bibliography

• Helen Merritt and Nanako Yamada, "Guide to Modern Japanese Woodblock Prints: 1900-1975", University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, ISBN 0-8248-1732-X.
• Helen Merritt, "Modern Japanese Woodblock Prints - The early years", University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, 1990, ISBN 0-8248-1200-X.

Signatures and Seals of Tadashige Ono 1909-1990

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