Framed Woodblock Print Apres La Pluie Tarang Yap by Paul Jacoulet

A Japanese Woodblock print by Paul Jacoulet (French, 1896-1960) entitled Apres Le Pluie. Tarang, Yap (After the rain). Created in 1938, this print was considered to be Jacoulet's first attempt to tell a story with a psychological depth through an interactive composition. Carved by Maeda and printed by Ogawa, this idyllic work depicts two married native men on the tropical Yap atoll Micronesia gazing past each other. Each in their traditional clothes, one leans against the palm tree while the other seated in front of him, they strike the viewers with an ambiguous dynamic between them.
Two editions 150 first with fewer than 100 realized and 350 second with less than 200 impressions.
The print is signed in pencil and with the artist's red ink tea jar stamp lower left in plate, printed title in the lower right bottom margin, and carver's and printer's seal in the lower right-side margin. The Sight is: 17 1/4 x 13 1/2".
The print is nicely housed in a solid brass frame with custom mat.
Reference: No 48 "The Prints of Paul Jacoulet: A Complete Illustrated Catalog by Richard Miles.

An eccentric artist of his time, Paul Jacoulet was born in France but lived most his life in Japan. He is considered as one of the few western artists who have mastered the art of woodblock printing sufficiently to be recognized in Japan. Largely rooted in traditional Japanese woodblock printing techniques and ukiyo-e style, the artist developed a unique and recognizable style infused with his own aesthetic vision and technical approaches that set himself apart from Japanese artists. Nearly all portraits, Jacoulet depicted a wide range of people he encountered in his extensive travelling in the Far East as well as South Pacific. Often in their traditional outfits and surrounded by endogenous flora and props, his models often convey a more western sense of pose, with some directly confronting the viewers. Jacoulet occupies a special place in the world of ukiyo-e, the artist formed a bridge between the East and West.