A Day in June 1910

This is ‘A Day in June’ by Helen Hyde. I wonder what it was like for her, a woman from Kingston, New York to arrive in Japan at the turn of the century. The woodblock print shows a woman and a baby standing amongst irises in a field with other figures in the background. I can imagine the process of carving these blocks, the steady hand needed to define the lines of the kimono, the irises, and the child’s face. The figures are set against the landscape with a few buildings in the distance. There's a real sense of peace and quiet here. Hyde probably had a special interest in this subject, being a mother herself. I can feel the warmth of the sun on my skin. The artist captures a quiet moment, and the work has this intimate feel, like a snapshot of an everyday scene. Her works show an exchange of ideas across time, where each artist borrows and adds their individual voice.