Night View of Beppu
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
Description
Beppu, a city on the northeastern coast of Kyushu, is famous for its hot springs and the steam vents that dot its hillsides. This woodblock print depicts the city at night, when artificial lights along the harbor and in the hillside neighborhoods create a warm glow against the dark coastal landscape. The nocturnal setting requires Koichi to work primarily in deep blues, blacks, and the pinpoint yellows of electric light, a palette that differs markedly from the pastel tones of his seasonal landscape prints. Night views of Japanese cities became a popular shin-hanga subject in the twentieth century, building on the yoru no keshiki tradition while incorporating modern electric illumination. Beppu's terraced geography, rising steeply from the bay, gives the night scene a layered vertical structure.
More Prints by Okumura Koichi
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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
Night View of Beppu was created by Okumura Koichi (奥村厚一).
Night View of Beppu depicts landscapes and night scenes.