Margaret Preston

Begonia c. 1935
woodcut, printed in black ink on thin ivory laid Japanese paper, hand-coloured; unknown edition
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Purchased 1964

Beyond the collected books in her extensive library, Preston experienced Japanese culture firsthand on two visits: a brief stopover in 1926, and a second trip in 1934 to study printmaking in Kyoto with a descendant of Hiroshige—the impact of which is evident in Begonia c. 1935 and Tea-tree and Hakea petiolaris 1936.

Printed in black ink (on thin Japanese paper in the case of Begonia), the subtle hand colouring of these works recalls Hishikawa Moronubu’s technical approach, while the spatial openness and rhythm of the compositions echo Katsushika Hokusai’s Peonies and butterfly c. 1832.