Roofs of Florence records Sekino's encounter with European architecture during his travels abroad, bringing his Japanese woodblock sensibility to an Italian cityscape. The cross-cultural perspective makes this an unusual and interesting piece. Prices typically range from $250-$800, with the international subject attracting a wider collector base.
A 1959 woodblock made during or just after Sekino's travels in Europe, depicting the distinctive terracotta roofscape of Florence as seen from one of the city's hills. The Florentine cityscape — its domes and campaniles rising above a sea of orange tile — gave Sekino the same geometric material as Japanese roofscapes but in an entirely different palette and cultural register. The print belongs to a small body of European landscape work that engages with Italian urbanism on its own visual terms.
Woodblock print
1928
Color lithograph
1930
Color lithograph
1948
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Roofs of Florence was created by Jun'ichiro Sekino (関野準一郎) in 1959.
Roofs of Florence uses Nishiki-e, Moku-hanga, and Kento, on woodblock print.
Roofs of Florence depicts urban scenes, architecture, and travel scenes.
