Kara Bridge at Seta (Seta no Karahashi), from the series "Eight Views of Ômi (Ômi hakkei)"
by Ito Shinsui
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image courtesy of
- Art Institute of Chicago
Description
"Kara Bridge at Seta" is a shin-hanga landscape print by Ito Shinsui, created during the Taisho and Showa periods. This atmospheric composition captures a specific place and moment with the poetic sensibility that characterizes the finest Japanese landscape prints.
Ito Shinsui brings characteristic attention to atmospheric conditions and seasonal nuance, using the woodblock medium's capacity for subtle color gradation to create a landscape that feels both specific to its location and universal in its emotional resonance.
This print is part of the series "Eight Views of Ômi (Ômi hakkei)," which stands as one of Ito Shinsui's significant achievements in documenting Japan's landscapes. The series format allowed the artist to explore variations of light, weather, and season across different locations.
As a shin-hanga print, this work was produced through the traditional collaborative system of artist, woodblock carver, and printer, resulting in the refined technical quality that distinguishes the movement — visible in the precise color registration, smooth gradations (bokashi), and rich, saturated pigments.
This print represents Ito Shinsui's contribution to the shin-hanga tradition during the Taisho and Showa periods. As with all works by this artist, it reflects both individual artistic vision and the broader cultural moment in which it was created. For collectors and admirers of Japanese printmaking, it offers a window into the sophisticated aesthetic world that produced some of the most beloved images in art history.
More Prints by Ito Shinsui
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
Kara Bridge at Seta (Seta no Karahashi), from the series "Eight Views of Ômi (Ômi hakkei)" was created by Ito Shinsui (伊東深水).
Kara Bridge at Seta (Seta no Karahashi), from the series "Eight Views of Ômi (Ômi hakkei)" depicts landscapes.



