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
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- Harvard Art Museums
Description
"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 format gives the sea subject the expansive scale it demands.
More Prints by Onchi Koshiro
More Seascapes Prints
Child of the Sea
1940
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
Pacific Ocean, Awa Province (Boshu Taikai), from the series "Souvenirs of Travel, Third Series (Tabi miyage dai sanshu)"
Boshu Taikai
1925
Color woodblock print; oban
Pine Beach at Miho (Miho no Matsubara), from the series "Selection of Views of the Tokaido (Tokaido fukei senshu)"
September 1931
Color woodblock print; oban
Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.