Fireworks at Kamogawa River
by Oda Kazuma
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
- Image courtesy of
- Japanese Art Open Database
Description
This print depicts a summer fireworks festival over the Kamogawa River in Kyoto, a seasonal spectacle that drew large crowds to the riverbanks. Oda likely employed deep bokashi gradations to render the night sky shifting from black at the zenith to a luminous dark blue near the horizon, with bursts of color reflected in the river's surface below. The composition would contrast the ephemeral blossoms of light against the stable geometry of the riverbanks and any visible bridges. As an urban subject rendered in woodblock, the print engages the traditional genre of meisho-e while translating it into a thoroughly modern context, one in which electric light and industrial fireworks define the spectacle rather than lanterns or bonfires.
More Prints by Oda Kazuma
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Autumn Maple Leaves at Takao, from the album Eight Views of Kyoto (Kyôto hakkei)
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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)"
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Tea Kettle, section of a sheet from the series "Mirror of Stone Rubbings of Views of the Provinces" (Kohon meihitsu ishizuri kagami)
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Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fireworks at Kamogawa River was created by Oda Kazuma (織田一磨).
Fireworks at Kamogawa River depicts landscapes.