The Little Shepherdess

Keiko Minami

Japanese born printmaker Keiko Minami and her husband, mezzotint artist Yozo Hamaguchi moved to Paris in 1953 and she began to study at the atelier of Johnny Friedlaender, a pioneer in aquatint etching. Two of Minami's influences were the Japanese Mingei folk art movement imagery and the works of Paul Klee.

This simple, direct etching and aquatint depicts 2 towers and a gateway leading into a town. In the foreground is a folk like composition of a young girl, a shepherdess with 2 goats. The whole composition is printed on a blue-green background with touches of color in the windows and doors.