Famous Views of the Tokaido: Enjoying a Midday Noh Performance
Typical Price
$1,500–$50,000+. As part of a celebrated series, this print benefits from strong collector demand. Good condition prints: $6,000–$20,000. Key value factors: Kyosai's paintings sell for much more than his prints. Among prints, satirical and animal subjects are most popular.
Description
"Famous Views of the Tokaido: Enjoying a Midday Noh Performance" is a ukiyo-e print by Kawanabe Kyosai, created during the Meiji period. This abstract work reflects the artist's exploration of form, color, and texture through the woodblock medium.
Kawanabe Kyosai approaches abstraction through the unique constraints and possibilities of woodblock printing, where the grain of the wood, the pressure of the baren, and the interaction of pigment and paper all contribute to the final image. Called 'the demon of painting,' his work ranged from delicate beauty to grotesque humor.
As a sosaku-hanga work — designed, carved, and printed entirely by the artist's own hand — this print embodies the creative philosophy that the printmaker's personal expression should permeate every stage of production, from concept to finished impression.
This print represents Kawanabe Kyosai's contribution to the ukiyo-e tradition during the Meiji period. 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 Kawanabe Kyosai
from the series One Hundred Pictures by Kyôsai (Kyôsai hyakuzu)
Woodblock print
Old Picture of the Rashômon Gate (Rashômon no ko zu), from the series Scenes of Famous Places along the Tôkaidô Road (Tôkaidô meisho fûkei), also known as the Processional Tôkaidô (Gyôretsu Tôkaidô), here called Tôkaidô meisho tsuzuki
Woodblock print
Tsukishimadera Temple in Hyôgo (Hyôgo Tsukishimadera), from the series Scenes of Famous Places along the Tôkaidô Road (Tôkaidô meisho fûkei), also known as the Processional Tôkaidô (Gyôretsu Tôkaidô), here called Tôkaidô meisho no uchi
Woodblock print
from the series One Hundred Pictures by Kyôsai (Kyôsai hyakuzu)
Woodblock print
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
Famous Views of the Tokaido: Enjoying a Midday Noh Performance was created by Kawanabe Kyosai (河鍋暁斎).
Famous Views of the Tokaido: Enjoying a Midday Noh Performance depicts landscapes, kabuki, and travel scenes.