The 1963 Carrying Water print belongs to a group of rural labor scenes Saito made during travels through Japan's countryside, observing the persistence of ancient agricultural practices in the modern era. A figure carrying water jars on a shoulder pole—a image with roots in Chinese and Japanese painting going back centuries—is rendered in the stripped-down geometric style of his mature work, the body's load-bearing posture expressed through the slight forward tilt of a simplified form.
Wakasa Kugushiko
1920
Color woodblock print; oban
Woodblock print
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
n.d.
Woodblock print; ishizuri-e, section of harimaze sheet
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Carrying Water was created by Saito Kiyoshi (斎藤清) in 1963?.
Carrying Water depicts landscapes, figures, and daily life.
Carrying Water measures 26.2 × 40.2 cm.
