February - Wintry Sky
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
Description
This woodblock print evokes the spare, cold atmosphere of a February sky, translating seasonal mood into visual form. The title "Wintry Sky" signals Hakutei's interest in weather and atmosphere as subjects worthy of sustained observation, an approach that owes as much to Whistler and the Impressionists as to the seasonal sensibility embedded in Japanese art. The print likely employs a restrained palette suited to late winter, when color drains from the landscape and the sky itself becomes the dominant presence. Hakutei's self-carved blocks allow him to control the grain and pressure of each line, producing textures that evoke cold air and overcast light. The work sits within a Japanese tradition of seasonal imagery while pushing that tradition toward a more subjective, experiential register.
More Prints by Ishii Hakutei
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
February - Wintry Sky was created by Ishii Hakutei (石井柏亭).
February - Wintry Sky depicts landscapes and winter.