Pastoral
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Legion of Honor
- Image courtesy of
- Legion of Honor
Description
'Pastoral' suggests a rural landscape composition — fields, hills, perhaps farm structures or grazing animals — rendered through the direct carving approach central to sōsaku-hanga practice. In prints of this type, Mizufune would likely have used a limited palette of earth tones and greens, building depth through overlapping color blocks rather than linear perspective. Subtle bokashi gradations could suggest the quality of light across open terrain or the softness of a sky. The classification under both Landscapes and Nature indicates an emphasis on the natural environment rather than human presence, consistent with the lyrical, quietly observed rural subjects that occupied many sōsaku-hanga artists during the 1950s and 1960s as Japan's rapid urbanization made such scenes increasingly distant from everyday life.
More Prints by Mizufune Rokushu
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
Pastoral was created by Mizufune Rokushu (水船六洲).
Pastoral depicts landscapes and nature.