Spring in the Capital (Haru rakuchu)
- Date:
- 20th century
- Medium:
- Color woodblock print; edition 74/100
- Format:
- Oban
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
$200–$1,500. Common prints: $200–$500. Key value factors: Kawashima's prints are affordably priced. Quality examples are most valued.
This color woodblock print from a limited edition of 100 impressions bears the Japanese subtitle "Haru rakuchu," meaning spring in the heart of Kyoto. Rakuchu refers to the area within the old city boundaries, distinguishing it from the surrounding suburbs and countryside. Tatsuo Kawashima focuses on the urban landscape of Kyoto proper during spring, a time when cherry blossoms line the canals, fill the temple grounds, and arch over narrow streets in tunnels of pale pink. Edition number 74 of 100 indicates this impression was pulled well into the run, though the woodblock printing process maintains consistent quality throughout a well-managed edition. The 20th-century dating places this print within Kawashima's mature period, when his technical command of the medium allowed him to render the complex urban landscape of Kyoto with its layered architecture, vegetation, and atmospheric effects.
Spring in the Capital (Haru rakuchu) was created by Tatsuo Kawashima (川島達雄) in 20th century.
Spring in the Capital (Haru rakuchu) depicts spring.
