Autumn Shapes
by Gen Yamanaka
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Image courtesy of
- The Verne Collection
Description
Autumn Shapes draws on the kacho-e tradition of nature subjects while departing from its decorative conventions toward abstraction. Yamanaka likely renders autumnal forms — bare branches, leaf silhouettes, or massed foliage — as simplified geometric or organic shapes on washi, with color applied in broad, flat passages characteristic of his reductive aesthetic. The palette would favor ochres, burnt siennas, and muted crimsons printed through careful registration across multiple blocks. Rather than cataloguing specific plant species in the manner of classical botanical woodblock prints, the composition distills seasonal change into essential form.
More Prints by Gen Yamanaka
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
Autumn Shapes was created by Gen Yamanaka (山中現).
Autumn Shapes depicts landscapes and autumn foliage.