Hanga
Expression of Eyes (Hitomi) - 瞳 by Kobayakawa Kiyoshi — Japanese Woodblock print, 1930

Expression of Eyes (Hitomi) - 瞳

by Kobayakawa Kiyoshi

Date:
1930
Medium:
Woodblock print
Format:
Oban
Edition:
Published by Watanabe Shozaburo
Source:
Ohmi Gallery

Description

"Expression of Eyes" (Hitomi), 1930, is the earlier variant of Kobayakawa's close-focus eye study, depicting the luminous, precisely rendered eyes of a modern woman as the complete subject of the print. "Hitomi" — the Japanese word for the iris or pupil, but also used poetically to mean "eyes" generally — carries deep resonance in Japanese poetry and fiction as the site of soul and feeling. By isolating the eyes, Kobayakawa created prints of unusual psychological intensity in a tradition that often avoided direct gazes.

More Prints by Kobayakawa Kiyoshi

More Bijin-ga Prints

Featured in Collections

Curated cross-cuts that include this print.

Frequently Asked Questions

Expression of Eyes (Hitomi) - 瞳 was created by Kobayakawa Kiyoshi (小早川清) in 1930.

Expression of Eyes (Hitomi) - 瞳 was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (1930).

Expression of Eyes (Hitomi) - 瞳 depicts bijin-ga and portraits.