Hiroto Norikane (乗兼広人) — Rustic Village (2021)

A quiet autumn view of thatched minka farmhouses, their steep roofs rendered in crisp etched line while a persimmon branch arcs into the pale sky. Norikane’s intaglio technique—fine linework with soft aquatint tones—settles the scene into a mood of calm observation, part document and part reverie. His prints often focus on vernacular architecture and small towns, translating wood, thatch, and stone into intimate, beautifully balanced compositions.

Born in Hiroshima Prefecture in 1949, Norikane studied at Sokei Academy of Fine Arts and developed a studio practice centered on etching, aquatint, and mezzotint. His editions are typically small, signed, and carefully printed, and his rural subjects have attracted an international following.

Details

• Artist: Hiroto Norikane (b. 1949)

• Title/Subject: Rustic Village

• Medium: Etching with aquatint on paper

• Date: Contemporary (undated)

• Image size: 6 1/8 × 8 1/4 in (plus margins)

• Edition: 100 (this impression from the 3/100 edition)

• Signature/Marks: Pencil signature “H. Norikane,” numbering, red artist seal

• Notes: Characteristic rural-architecture motif; finely graded tonal work in intaglio.

LS#038

Item Label

Rustic Village

Hiroto Norikane (乗兼広人)
Etching with aquatint on paper
Image: 6 1/8 × 8 1/4 in (plus margins)
Edition: 100
LS#038

Museum Card

Rustic Village

Hiroto Norikane (乗兼広人), Japan, contemporary
Etching with aquatint on paper
Image: 6 1/8 × 8 1/4 in (plus margins)

Thatched farmhouses cluster along a narrow lane while a persimmon branch signals autumn. Using etched line and soft aquatint washes, Norikane honors everyday architecture and the quiet rhythms of the countryside—hallmarks of his small, signed editions.
LS#038