Azuma Gorge (Azuma kyo)
by Kawase Hasui
- Date:
- 1943
- Medium:
- Color woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Publisher:
- Watanabe Shozaburo
- Edition:
- Published by Watanabe Shozaburo
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
Description
Azuma Gorge (Azumakyo), published in 1943, depicts the volcanic gorge carved by the Azuma River through the lava fields of the Azuma volcano complex in present-day Fukushima Prefecture — a series of narrow chasms and basalt columns formed by ancient lava flows, with the gorge walls dropping sheer to the river below. The Azuma gorge's dramatic geological formations, with dark basalt columns and the river's turquoise-green water visible far below, offered Hasui a subject of geological intensity rather than the more typical pastoral or coastal landscapes. The 1943 wartime date places this in the period of increasingly local Japanese travel subjects.
More Prints by Kawase Hasui
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
Azuma Gorge (Azuma kyo) was created by Kawase Hasui (川瀬巴水) in 1943.
Azuma Gorge (Azuma kyo) was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (1943).
Azuma Gorge (Azuma kyo) depicts landscapes and mountains.