Mt Hiei — 比叡
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
Description
Mount Hiei, rendered here in Japanese as 比叡, rises at the northeastern boundary between Kyoto and Shiga Prefecture, a mountain laden with religious and cultural significance as the seat of the Tendai Buddhist headquarters at Enryaku-ji. Nishiyama's woodblock print portrays the mountain's broad, forested slopes, which have been a defining element of the Kyoto skyline for over a millennium. The composition captures the mountain from a distance sufficient to show its full profile against the sky, with the dense forest cover rendered as a unified mass of deep greens. Rather than depicting the famous temple complex hidden within the trees, Nishiyama focuses on the mountain as a natural form, allowing its imposing presence to speak without architectural embellishment.
More Prints by Nishiyama Hideo
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
Mt Hiei — 比叡 was created by Nishiyama Hideo (西山英雄).
Mt Hiei — 比叡 depicts landscapes, temples & shrines, and mountains.