The Nikkō Road
by Kawase Hasui
- Date:
- 1930
- Medium:
- Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
- Format:
- Oban
- Dimensions:
- 36.5 × 24.1 cm
- Publisher:
- Watanabe Shozaburo
- Edition:
- Published by Watanabe Shozaburo
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
Description
The Nikko Road — the great cedar avenue built by Tokugawa Iemitsu as an approach to his grandfather's mausoleum — is one of the most celebrated tree-lined roads in Japan, its cryptomeria cedars forming a cathedral tunnel for over 35 kilometers. Hasui's 1930 print likely shows the avenue in a quiet season, the massive trunks of 300-year-old cedars rising into a high canopy that filters light to a green dimness. The road's combination of human engineering and natural grandeur suited his interest in landscapes shaped by both forces.
More Prints by Kawase Hasui
More Travel Scenes Prints
Rain Shower at Shо̄no, from the series Fifty-three Stations of the Tо̄kaidо̄ (Tо̄kaidо̄ gojusan tsugi)
1962
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
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
Pacific Ocean, Awa Province (Boshu Taikai), from the series "Souvenirs of Travel, Third Series (Tabi miyage dai sanshu)"
Boshu Taikai
1925
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
Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Nikkō Road was created by Kawase Hasui (川瀬巴水) in 1930.
The Nikkō Road was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (1930).
The Nikkō Road depicts travel scenes.
The Nikkō Road measures 36.5 × 24.1 cm (Oban format).