Lake Ashinoko in Rain, Hakone
by Ito Takashi
- Date:
- 1929
- Medium:
- Color woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
Description
Created in 1929, this color woodblock print shows Lake Ashinoko in the Hakone mountain region under rainfall. The rain transforms the lake's surface into a field of stippled texture, while the surrounding mountains lose their hard edges behind veils of falling water. Ito Takashi uses the oban format to give the scene horizontal breadth, letting the rain unify the composition by imposing a single tonal mood across land, water, and sky. Hakone's volcanic lake, nestled in a caldera surrounded by forested peaks, has been a subject for landscape artists since the Edo period, but Ito's rain-soaked version strips away the touristic clarity of fine-weather views. The 1929 date places this among his earlier shin-hanga works, when he was establishing the rain and snow themes that would recur throughout his career.
More Prints by Ito Takashi
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
Lake Ashinoko in Rain, Hakone was created by Ito Takashi (伊東孝) in 1929.
Lake Ashinoko in Rain, Hakone depicts landscapes, rivers & lakes, and rain, set at Hakone.