Shinobazu Pond
by Kawase Hasui
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
- Image courtesy of
- Japanese Art Open Database
Description
Shinobazu Pond, located in Ueno Park in Tokyo's Taitō ward, was one of Hasui's recurrent subjects. The pond — divided into sections for rowing, lotus cultivation, and a cormorant area — is defined by its broad, flat water surface and the small island at its center occupied by the Benten-dō (Benten shrine). Hasui's treatments of Shinobazu characteristically use the lotus plants as a middle-ground element and the shrine's vermilion or white architecture as a color accent against a neutral sky. The horizontal expanse of the pond invites the wide, serene compositions associated with his meisho-e work, and the seasonal variation of the lotuses — from bare winter stalks to full summer bloom — determines the palette and mood of each version.
More Prints by Kawase Hasui
More Rivers & Lakes Prints
Lake Chuzenji, Nikko (Nikko Chuzenjiko)
Nikko Chuzenjiko
1930
Color woodblock print; oban
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
Gosai Canal in Niigata (Niigata Gosaibori), from the series "Souvenirs of Travel, Second Series (Tabi miyage dai nishu)"
Niigata Gosaibori
1921
Color woodblock print; oban
The Hori River at Obama (Obama Horikawa), from the series "Souvenirs of Travel, First Series (Tabi miyage dai isshu)"
Obama Horikawa
1920
Color woodblock print; oban
Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Shinobazu Pond was created by Kawase Hasui (川瀬巴水).
Shinobazu Pond depicts rivers & lakes.