Sea and Moon
- Date:
- 1961
- Medium:
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- Victoria and Albert Museum
Description
A circle of moon — or perhaps its wavering reflection on open water — anchors this nocturnal seascape in a single luminous note. Kitaoka reduces the composition to its barest elements: the horizontal pull of sea or sky, the concentrated energy of the circular form, the vast surrounding dark. Printed in 1961 during one of his most productive periods, the work demonstrates his command of restraint — how much can be said through how little — and aligns him with the broader postwar Japanese interest in meditative abstraction.
More Prints by Fumio Kitaoka
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
Sea and Moon was created by Fumio Kitaoka (北岡文雄) in 1961.
Sea and Moon depicts seascapes, moonlight, and night scenes.