Myth (Expression of the Sea)
- Date:
- 1946
- Medium:
- Woodblock print; ink and colors printed on paper; with artist’s stamp reading "Onzi" impressed in black ink within the image (in the lower left corner)
- Dimensions:
- 24.9 × 18.6 cm
"Myth (Expression of the Sea)" of 1946 — made in the immediate aftermath of Japan's defeat — situates the sea within a mythological framework that connects the present moment to deep time and archetypal experience. The sea as myth, as the origin and container of stories that cultures use to understand themselves, allowed Onchi to address the catastrophic present through the lens of enduring human meaning. The artist's own stamp ("Onzi") is embedded in the composition, claiming authorship within the image. The [triptych](/glossary/triptych) format gives the sea subject the expansive scale it demands.
1940
Woodblock print
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
Boshu Taikai
1925
Color woodblock print; oban
September 1931
Color woodblock print; oban
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Myth (Expression of the Sea) was created by Onchi Koshiro (恩地孝四郎) in 1946.
Myth (Expression of the Sea) depicts seascapes and mythology.
Myth (Expression of the Sea) measures 24.9 × 18.6 cm.
