Original Woodblock Print by Carol Jessen b1940 "Kamagowa" 18.5"W

Carol Jessen (b. 1940)

“Kamogawa” (鴨川)
Artist’s Proof, signed and dated 1987

From the collection of Leonard Sorese, an avid collector of Japanese and Asian art.

A serene and atmospheric hanga (woodblock print) by Carol Jessen, capturing the misty banks of Kyoto’s Kamogawa River (鴨川) in a gentle rain. Rows of paper lanterns glow dimly against the riverside kawadoko dining terraces, while figures with umbrellas trace the river’s edge toward the distant Sanjo Bridge (三条大橋). The soft, layered tones and delicate diagonal rain evoke both the tranquility and fleeting melancholy of Kyoto’s summer rain.

Jessen’s restrained palette—lavenders, blues, and grays punctuated by the single warm orange of a foreground umbrella—exemplifies her mastery of atmospheric composition and mood. The texture and gradation of tone were achieved through painstaking multiple woodblocks, each impression contributing to the scene’s depth and motion.

Edition: Artist’s Proof (A.P.)
Signature / Date: Pencil-signed “Carol Jessen ’87,” titled Kamogawa at lower left
Medium: Color woodblock print on handmade paper
Dimensions: 11" x 19.5"
Condition: Excellent impression and color; faint natural toning at edges only.

Artist Bio

Carol Jessen (born 1940, United States) studied traditional Japanese woodblock printing in Kyoto, where she lived and worked for several decades. Deeply influenced by both the shin-hanga and sōsaku-hanga traditions, she developed a distinctive style marked by refined color gradations, minimal outlines, and a focus on atmospheric landscapes. Her works often depict the quiet poetry of Kyoto’s rivers, bridges, and alleyways—especially in rain or snow—reflecting the contemplative beauty of transience central to Japanese aesthetics.