Usu Gumo- A Wreath of Cloud — 薄雲
by Maeda Masao
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
by Maeda Masao
$500–$4,000. Common landscapes: $500–$1,500. Key value factors: Maeda Masao's atmospheric mountain and landscape prints have a dedicated following among sosaku-hanga collectors.
Usu Gumo — A Wreath of Cloud (薄雲, "Wisps of Cloud") — corresponds to Chapter 19 of The Tale of Genji, in which the cloud imagery of the title frames the death of Genji's father the Kiritsubo Emperor and the ensuing emotional and political reconfiguration. The wispy cloud of the title carried poetic significance as an image of the transient — both the beautiful woman of a poem and the smoke of cremation ascending — and Maeda Masao's illustration for this chapter engaged these atmospheric and elegiac dimensions through his characteristic visual language.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Usu Gumo- A Wreath of Cloud — 薄雲 was created by Maeda Masao (前田政雄).
Usu Gumo- A Wreath of Cloud — 薄雲 depicts figures and bijin-ga.
