Harbor
- Date:
- 20th century
- Medium:
- Color woodblock print
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
Description
Kawanishi lived his entire life in Kobe, and the city's harbor was the subject to which he returned most frequently. This color woodblock print renders the port as a composition of ships, water, cranes, and the geometric forms of warehouses and dock infrastructure. Kobe's harbor, one of Japan's busiest international ports, offered Kawanishi a subject that combined the natural beauty of the Inland Sea setting with the industrial energy of maritime commerce. The harbor's visual vocabulary of masts, smokestacks, and mooring lines provided strong graphic elements well suited to the woodblock medium's capacity for bold line and flat color. This print belongs to a body of harbor views that collectively document Kobe's waterfront across seasons and decades, forming the core of Kawanishi's artistic identity.
More Prints by Hide Kawanishi
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
Harbor was created by Hide Kawanishi (川西英) in 20th century.
Harbor depicts landscapes and seascapes.