Sumida River
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
- Image courtesy of
- Japanese Art Open Database
Description
This view of the Sumida River exemplifies Kiyochika's kosen-ga approach to Tokyo's most prominent waterway. The Sumida served as both commercial artery and recreational destination during the Meiji era, and Kiyochika rendered it with characteristic attention to atmospheric light rather than topographic precision. Gradated bokashi passages likely model the sky and water surface, while the river's reflective quality allowed the artist to explore luminosity effects derived from his study of Western oil painting. Boats, bridges, or riverside structures anchor the composition spatially. The oban-format print belongs to Kiyochika's ongoing project of documenting a Tokyo simultaneously ancient and transformed by modernization.
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
Sumida River was created by Kobayashi Kiyochika (小林清親).
Sumida River depicts landscapes.