Koromo River below Tennô-ji Temple (Tennô-ji shita Koromogawa)
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Museum of Fine Arts Boston
- Image courtesy of
- Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Description
This landscape print depicts the Koromo River as it flows below Tennō-ji Temple, a composition that combines two resonant elements of the Japanese classical landscape: a temple setting and a river in passage beneath it. Tennō-ji's elevated position above the river would have allowed Kiyochika to structure the composition vertically, with the temple roofline visible through foliage above and the river's reflective surface anchoring the lower register. Kiyochika's atmospheric handling of water — particularly his ability to render the diffuse glow of moonlight or filtered daylight on a river's surface through careful pigment application — is well suited to this subject. The inclusion of the Japanese title Tennō-ji shita Koromogawa indicates this print was likely part of a named landscape series documenting notable scenic sites.
More Prints by Kobayashi Kiyochika
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
Koromo River below Tennô-ji Temple (Tennô-ji shita Koromogawa) was created by Kobayashi Kiyochika (小林清親).
Koromo River below Tennô-ji Temple (Tennô-ji shita Koromogawa) depicts landscapes.