Hanga
− by Kobayashi Kiyochika — Japanese Woodblock print

by Kobayashi Kiyochika

Medium:
Woodblock print
Image courtesy of
Waseda University

Description

An untitled print from Kobayashi Kiyochika's prolific Meiji-period production, this work reflects his sustained interest in capturing Tokyo under atmospheric conditions that dissolve conventional spatial clarity. Kiyochika frequently returned to scenes of rain, mist, snow, and nocturnal illumination, conditions that allowed him to suppress fine detail in favor of luminous tonal masses. The bokashi gradations achievable through careful registration of the printing block against dampened washi allowed for the kind of softened horizon and diffused light source that distinguishes his work from earlier Edo topographic prints. Figures, if present, are likely subordinated to the atmospheric field rather than foregrounded as narrative subjects.

More Prints by Kobayashi Kiyochika

Frequently Asked Questions

− was created by Kobayashi Kiyochika (小林清親).