The Sea
- Date:
- 1989
- Medium:
- Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
- Format:
- Oban
- Dimensions:
- 26.7 × 68.3 cm
- Source:
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
Description
The open sea — rarely the subject of an artist so committed to enclosed urban spaces — is Karhu's subject in this 1989 print, its broad horizontal expanse and the interaction of light with moving water requiring a very different compositional approach than his Kyoto streetscapes. "The Sea" likely depicts coastal Japan — perhaps the Seto Inland Sea or the Sea of Japan — and shows Karhu applying his observational skills to a subject without the architectural anchor that usually organized his compositions. The result is one of his most open and expansive works.
More Prints by Clifton Karhu
More Seascapes Prints
Child of the Sea
1940
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
Pacific Ocean, Awa Province (Boshu Taikai), from the series "Souvenirs of Travel, Third Series (Tabi miyage dai sanshu)"
Boshu Taikai
1925
Color woodblock print; oban
Pine Beach at Miho (Miho no Matsubara), from the series "Selection of Views of the Tokaido (Tokaido fukei senshu)"
September 1931
Color woodblock print; oban
Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Sea was created by Clifton Karhu in 1989.
The Sea depicts seascapes.
The Sea measures 26.7 × 68.3 cm (Oban format).