Great Torii Gate at Kudan
- Date:
- 1945
- Medium:
- Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
- Dimensions:
- 20 × 27.5 cm
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
Description
"Great Torii Gate at Kudan," from 1945, depicts the massive stone torii marking the approach to Yasukuni Shrine in the Kudan district of Tokyo, one of the most politically charged Shinto sites in Japan. The print, made in the final year of World War II, bears the weight of that historical moment: Yasukuni enshrined the spirits of Japan's war dead, and the great torii at Kudan was a threshold between the civic and the sacred, the living and the honored dead. Kawakami's rendering gives the gate its massive, simplified presence against the surrounding city.
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Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Great Torii Gate at Kudan was created by Sumio Kawakami (川上澄生) in 1945.
Great Torii Gate at Kudan depicts temples & shrines, torii gates, and architecture.
Great Torii Gate at Kudan measures 20 × 27.5 cm.