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(両国元柳橋夕陽) by Kobayashi Kiyochika — Japanese Woodblock print

(両国元柳橋夕陽)

by Kobayashi Kiyochika

Medium:
Woodblock print
Image courtesy of
Ritsumeikan University

Description

Titled (両国元柳橋夕陽), 'Sunset at Yanagibashi Bridge, Ryōgoku,' this print depicts the area near the Sumida River where the old willow-tree bridge (Yanagibashi) stood adjacent to Ryōgoku's entertainment district. Sunset—yuhi—was one of the canonical lighting conditions Kiyochika subjected to his kosen-ga treatment, and the western bank of the Sumida afforded expansive sky views that concentrated the pictorial drama in the upper register. The composition likely positions water, bridge pilings, and possibly boats in the lower half, with the warm gradations of a setting sun—achieved through orange, red, and yellow bokashi—dominating the sky. The familiar Ryōgoku location grounds the image in recognizable meisho geography while the lighting treatment gives it the individualized atmospheric character typical of Kiyochika's landscape work.

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Frequently Asked Questions

(両国元柳橋夕陽) was created by Kobayashi Kiyochika (小林清親).