Wind God, Thunder God (Fujin, raijin)
by Ouchi Makoto
- Date:
- 1971
- Medium:
- Color intaglio
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
Description
"Wind God, Thunder God (Fujin, Raijin)" from 1971 is a color intaglio print that reinterprets one of the most iconic pairings in Japanese art. The original Fujin and Raijin screen painting by Tawaraya Sotatsu from the early seventeenth century established a template that artists have revisited for over four hundred years. Ouchi Makoto brings these fierce, muscular deities into the intaglio medium, replacing Sotatsu's gold-leaf grandeur with the incised detail and tonal depth of etched metal. Fujin clutches his bag of winds while Raijin beats his ring of drums, their supernatural energy now channeled through acid-bitten lines rather than broad brushstrokes. The translation from painted screen to printed paper strips away decorative opulence and concentrates attention on raw elemental force.
More Prints by Ouchi Makoto
More Landscapes Prints
Lake Kugushi in Wakasa Province (Wakasa Kugushiko), from the series Souvenirs of Travel I (Tabi miyage dai isshu)"
Wakasa Kugushiko
1920
Color woodblock print; oban
Autumn Maple Leaves at Takao, from the album Eight Views of Kyoto (Kyôto hakkei)
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
Tea Kettle, section of a sheet from the series "Mirror of Stone Rubbings of Views of the Provinces" (Kohon meihitsu ishizuri kagami)
n.d.
Woodblock print; ishizuri-e, section of harimaze sheet
Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Wind God, Thunder God (Fujin, raijin) was created by Ouchi Makoto (大内マコト) in 1971.
Wind God, Thunder God (Fujin, raijin) uses Etching, on color intaglio.
Wind God, Thunder God (Fujin, raijin) depicts landscapes.