Heian Shrine - Spring
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
$300–$2,500. Temple scenes are among the most popular subjects for this artist. Good mountain/lake prints: $800–$1,500. Key value factors: Okumura's atmospheric landscape prints are modestly priced. Mountain and lake scenes are most sought after.
Heian Jingu, the Meiji-era shrine built in 1895 to honor Emperor Kanmu, is surrounded by one of Kyoto's most impressive strolling gardens. This woodblock print depicts the shrine grounds in spring, when weeping cherry trees drape their branches over the garden's central pond. The vermillion torii gate and shrine buildings provide bold color accents against the pale pink of the blossoms. Koichi captures the shrine during its most photographed season, but the woodblock medium adds a material quality that photography cannot replicate: the grain of the wood blocks visible in flat color areas, the precise registration of multiple color layers, and the soft absorbency of washi paper. The result is a springtime scene that feels both specific to Heian Jingu and timeless in its rendering of seasonal beauty.
伏見稲荷
Woodblock print
c. 1832/38
Color woodblock print; oban
Woodblock print
Uji Byodoin no ichibu
1921
Color woodblock print; oban
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Heian Shrine - Spring was created by Okumura Koichi (奥村厚一).
Heian Shrine - Spring depicts temples & shrines and spring.
