Song of the Seashore (Hamabe no uta)
by Ansei Uchima
- Date:
- 1957
- Medium:
- Color woodblock print
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
Description
Song of the Seashore (Hamabe no uta) is a 1957 color woodblock print whose Japanese title references one of Japan's most beloved popular songs, composed in 1916 by Tamezo Narita with lyrics by Hayama Torako. The song describes a walk along the shore at sunset, waves washing over feet, the sea wind carrying memories of childhood — it is an unofficial anthem of Japanese coastal nostalgia, taught in elementary schools and known to virtually every Japanese person. Uchima's abstract interpretation transforms this sentimental subject into something more austere, using the rhythms of wave and shore as compositional structure while the emotional content of the song infuses the color and mood.
More Prints by Ansei Uchima
More Landscapes Prints
Lake Kugushi in Wakasa Province (Wakasa Kugushiko), from the series Souvenirs of Travel I (Tabi miyage dai isshu)"
Wakasa Kugushiko
1920
Color woodblock print; oban
Autumn Maple Leaves at Takao, from the album Eight Views of Kyoto (Kyôto hakkei)
Woodblock print
The Beach at Kaiganji in Sanuki Province (Sanuki Kaiganji no hama), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)"
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
Tea Kettle, section of a sheet from the series "Mirror of Stone Rubbings of Views of the Provinces" (Kohon meihitsu ishizuri kagami)
n.d.
Woodblock print; ishizuri-e, section of harimaze sheet
Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Song of the Seashore (Hamabe no uta) was created by Ansei Uchima (内間安瑆) in 1957.
Song of the Seashore (Hamabe no uta) depicts landscapes and seascapes.