Illusion of the Sea (Umi no Genso)
- Date:
- 1950
- Medium:
- Color woodblock print
- Dimensions:
- 44 × 69.9 cm
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
The 1950 Illusion of the Sea (Umi no Genso) is among Saito's earlier mature works—the date places it in the period when he had just begun systematically exploring the formal language that would define his career. The sea, rendered not as realistic water but as structured color planes, achieves the dreamlike quality the title announces: waves simplified to horizontal bands, the sea's surface a flat ground rather than a moving volume. The tension between illusion and geometric fact sustains the composition.
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.
Illusion of the Sea (Umi no Genso) was created by Saito Kiyoshi (斎藤清) in 1950.
Illusion of the Sea (Umi no Genso) depicts seascapes.
Illusion of the Sea (Umi no Genso) measures 44 × 69.9 cm.
