Landscape at Matsushima
by Kosaka Gajin
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
Description
The celebrated pine-clad islands of Matsushima Bay, long ranked among Japan's three most scenic views. Kosaka Gajin depicts the scattered rock formations and wind-bent pines that have drawn poets and artists to this stretch of the Miyagi coastline for centuries. The basho poet Matsuo Basho famously found the islands so beautiful he could only write their name repeatedly. Kosaka's woodblock rendering captures the way the islands appear to float on calm water, their dark pine silhouettes contrasting with pale sky and sea. The horizontal composition emphasizes the panoramic sweep of the bay's many small islets.
More Prints by Kosaka Gajin
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
Landscape at Matsushima was created by Kosaka Gajin (上坂雅人).
Landscape at Matsushima depicts landscapes, set at Matsushima.