Houses in the Forest
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- mfa
Description
Houses in the Forest places human habitation within a wooded setting, a subject that speaks to the Japanese concept of satoyama, the managed landscape where human settlement and forest overlap. Fukazawa renders the houses as modest structures partially screened by trees, creating a composition where architecture and nature coexist in a balance that feels neither wild nor entirely tamed. The woodblock medium's flat color areas work well for forest subjects, as overlapping planes of foliage can be built up through successive block impressions. Each layer of green or brown adds depth to the woodland without requiring the tonal gradation that oil painting uses to achieve similar effects. The result is a scene that feels inhabitable rather than merely picturesque.
More Prints by Sakuichi Fukazawa
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
Houses in the Forest was created by Sakuichi Fukazawa (深沢索一).
Houses in the Forest depicts landscapes, trees, and village scenes.