In this Thursday, February 19, photo one of the Japanese wood block prints donated by Adele Rodbell to the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown depicts a snow scene. Rodbell, a docent at the Clark Art Institute, has been collecting Japanese woodcut prints since the late 1970s. (AP Photo/The Berkshire Eagle, Gillian Jones)
SCOTT STAFFORD, The Berkshire Eagle
WILLIAMSTOWN (AP) — Adele Rodbell has been collecting Japanese woodcut prints since shortly after 1978, which is when she became a docent at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute.
Last month, those two roles came together when Rodbell donated much of her extensive collection to the museum, a recognition of the close relationship shared between the specialized Japanese art and the French Impressionists, of which the Clark already has an extensive collection.
Rodbell surveyed some examples of the 63 prints she gifted to the Clark and contemplated the images.
“They really look fantastic in a different setting,” she said, acknowledging the fact that most of them hadn’t been out of her home, or even in sunlight, for years.
Because of the materials used in the color ink on the prints, sunlight could fade the colors quickly, so they can only have limited exposure. Clarke said that as a result, they could only be exhibited for a few months at a time.
The artist would compose the image, and a wood carver would cut the image into a block of wood, and then do it exactly the same again and again. Then the printing would begin. Each block of cut wood would introduce another color to the image.
The Japanese prints originated during the early 1800s as basically posters for sale for use in local homes and businesses. They were soon circulating in Europe, and they wound up inspiring a number of impressionists, including Vincent Van Gogh, Claud Monet, Mary Cassatt, Edgar Degas, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Edvard Munch, and James McNeill Whistler to look at style and perspective a little differently, according to Jay A. Clarke, curator of prints, drawings and photographs at the Clark.
When Japanese artists started seeing American art, she noted, the influence was reversed: Yoshida’s landscapes were influenced by American artists such as Winslow Homer, a prominent figure in the museum’s collection. Sait considered several artists represented in the Clark’s collection as his primary artistic influence.
The prints were created between 1832 and 1971. Rodbell said that her family lived in Japan from 1969 to 1972, allowing her to become infatuated with the Japanese architecture, art and way of life. A few years later, when she started as a docent, she become more familiar with the impressionists, and noticed the influences from the Japanese prints.
“The more I looked, the more fascinated I became,” she said.
So she started collecting in earnest, hunting through galleries and consulting with trusted art dealers.
Clarke noted that the Rodbell Family Collection significantly expands the museum’s holdings of Japanese art.
“The Clark is really lucky to have this new collection,” she said. “There is so much we can learn from these wonderful pieces. And it relates so well in so many ways to our impressionist collection.”
The works are primarily landscapes ranging from the late ukiyo-e through the shin hanga and sosaku hanga movements of the 1920s and 1930s and through to post-war Japan. Highlights include a Hokusai landscape, a number of works from Hiroshige’s renowned series 100 Famous Views of Edo, three of Hasui’s winter scenes, mountain landscapes by Yoshida, and the Zen architecture prints of Saito.
One of the most fascinating prints, from an as-yet-unknown artist, depicts Benjamin Franklin inventing electricity, which brings up a whole new set of questions about the Japanese of the time and their understanding of American history.
An exhibition of prints from the Rodbell collection will be presented in the fall of 2015. This summer, a selection of the prints will be included in the Van Gogh and Nature exhibition.
“Adele Rodbell has long been a generous supporter of the Clark, giving her time and talent as a docent for 36 years,” said Michael Conforti, director of the Clark. “It is incredibly meaningful to us that she has chosen to make such an important gift to the Clark. These works are a wonderful addition to our somewhat modest collection of Japanese prints and create a distinct harmony with the Japanese architecture that has transformed our campus. Adele’s exceptional generosity speaks volumes about her dedication to the Institute and her desire to share this wonderful gift with our community.”
While Rodbell has been a volunteer docent at the Clark, she has donated about 5,000 hours of service giving gallery talks to approximately 20,000 school children and adults, researching and learning, and imparting her vast knowledge of the Clark’s collection to other docents.
In 1983 Rodbell was involved in planning the exhibition Eastern Winds: The Imprint of Japan on 19th and 20th Century Western Graphics.
The project explored how the Impressionists were influenced by Japanese art. In 2009 when the Clark presented Through the Seasons: Japanese Art in Nature, Rodbell’s knowledge of Japanese prints and ceramics was utilized in special exhibition gallery talks.
“When thinking about where this collection should permanently reside, I considered a number of museums whose Japanese print collections were already quite well established,” Rodbell said. “I thought the Clark was an ideal place for the prints to be. I had a long-term relationship with the Clark, which was expanding its collecting interests into new areas. In addition, two new buildings were being constructed by the fine Japanese architect Tadao Ando. It all seemed to be a perfect fit. It’s exciting that the prints will be shown this summer in buildings designed by Ando.”
