Mountain Village in Snow
by Sano Seiji
- Date:
- 2002
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
Description
Heavy snow blankets a cluster of rural buildings tucked into a mountain valley, their rooftops carrying thick white loads that round every edge. Sano's 2002 oban woodblock print builds the scene in contrasting layers: warm dark tones for the wooden structures and surrounding tree trunks, bright untouched paper for the accumulated snow, and cool grays for the overcast sky pressing down from above. The village appears both sheltered and buried, with footpaths reduced to narrow channels between drifts. There is no human figure visible, yet the lit windows and chimney smoke imply habitation, giving the print a quiet domesticity beneath its cold exterior. The mountain slopes rise steeply on all sides, enclosing the settlement in a bowl of winter silence.
More Prints by Sano Seiji
More Landscapes Prints
Lake Kugushi in Wakasa Province (Wakasa Kugushiko), from the series Souvenirs of Travel I (Tabi miyage dai isshu)"
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1920
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Autumn Maple Leaves at Takao, from the album Eight Views of Kyoto (Kyôto hakkei)
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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
Mountain Village in Snow was created by Sano Seiji (佐野精二) in 2002.
Mountain Village in Snow depicts landscapes, snow scenes, and mountains.