Mountain Path
- Date:
- 1950
- Medium:
- Woodblock print, ink on paper
- Dimensions:
- 35.8 × 50 cm
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
Description
Created in 1950, this ink-on-paper woodblock print depicts a path ascending through mountainous terrain. The mountain path was among Sasajima's most enduring subjects, a motif he explored in multiple prints across different seasons and years. The ascending trail offered both compositional interest, with its serpentine line climbing through the picture plane, and spiritual resonance, with the upward journey echoing Buddhist concepts of progression toward enlightenment. The ink-only technique produces stark tonal contrasts between the pale path and the dark surrounding terrain, creating a graphic clarity that emphasizes the solitary quality of mountain travel. Sasajima's carved lines follow the contours of rock and vegetation with an economy that suggests familiarity with the actual terrain, likely drawn from hiking trips in Japan's mountain regions.
More Prints by Kihei Sasajima
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
Mountain Path was created by Kihei Sasajima (笹島喜平) in 1950.
Mountain Path depicts landscapes and mountains.
Mountain Path measures 35.8 × 50 cm.