Gion Yasaka Torii-mae - 祇園八坂鳥居前

Dated 1930, this earlier print of the Gion Yasaka Shrine torii gate documents Kotozuka's engagement with this iconic Kyoto subject at the beginning of his career. The 1930 date places the work in the height of the shin-hanga movement, and the print shows the influence of that tradition's interest in atmospheric color and precise architectural rendering. The torii's vermilion against the surrounding scenery of Maruyama Park gives Kotozuka's composition its characteristic warm-cool color contrast.