For Japan
- Date:
- 1958
- Medium:
- Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
- Dimensions:
- 52.1 × 71.8 cm
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
Typical Price
$500–$4,000. Common subjects: $500–$1,500. Key value factors: As an early sosaku-hanga pioneer, Kawakami's prints have historical significance. His distinctive graphic style is collected.
Description
"For Japan," from 1958, is a work whose title carries patriotic and celebratory weight — a dedication to Japan itself at a moment when the country was rebuilding from wartime devastation and beginning the rapid economic recovery that would transform it into an industrial power. Kawakami's version of "Japan" would have been his characteristic mixture of historical depth and contemporary affection: a Japan of Portuguese ships and Dutch traders and Meiji-era enthusiasts for Western culture, the Japan of encounter and adaptation that had shaped his artistic identity.
More Prints by Sumio Kawakami
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
For Japan was created by Sumio Kawakami (川上澄生) in 1958.
For Japan depicts landscapes, figures, and travel scenes.
For Japan measures 52.1 × 71.8 cm.