Moon and Smoke (Enchū no tsuki), from the series One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (Tsuki hyaku sugata)
- Series:
- One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (print 1 of 100)
- Date:
- Meiji period, second month of 1886
- Medium:
- Woodblock print in "ōban" format; ink and color on paper, with printed signature reading "Yoshitoshi"
- Format:
- Oban
- Dimensions:
- 36 × 23.5 cm
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
Description
"Moon and Smoke" (Enchū no tsuki, second month of 1886) from "One Hundred Aspects of the Moon" depicts a figure obscured by drifting smoke under moonlight, creating an atmospheric study in gradations of light and semi-transparency. The smoke may be from incense or from battlefield fires, the ambiguity suggesting that the moon illuminates both sacred ritual and martial violence with equal indifference. Among the earliest prints in the series, this composition established Yoshitoshi's approach of using the moon as a witness to complex human experience rather than mere scenic backdrop.
More Prints by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
More Moonlight Prints
![Mount Fuji on a Moonlit Night, Kawai Bridge (Tsukiyo no Fuji [Kawaibashi]), from the series "Selection of Views of the Tokaido (Tokaido fukei senshu)" by Kawase Hasui](https://www.artic.edu/iiif/2/d0960668-1e73-339a-b182-fb995a54bff0/full/843,/0/default.jpg)
Mount Fuji on a Moonlit Night, Kawai Bridge (Tsukiyo no Fuji [Kawaibashi]), from the series "Selection of Views of the Tokaido (Tokaido fukei senshu)"
1947
Color woodblock print; oban
Evening Moon at Nakanoshima, Sapporo (Sapporo Nakanoshima no yuzuki), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan, Eastern Japan Edition (Nihon fukei shu higashi Nihon hen)"
March 1933
Color woodblock print; oban
Matsushima in Moonlight (Tsuki no Matsushima)
1919
Color woodblock print
Kiyozumi Garden in Moonlight
January 1938
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Frequently Asked Questions
Moon and Smoke (Enchū no tsuki), from the series One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (Tsuki hyaku sugata) was created by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (月岡芳年) in Meiji period, second month of 1886.
Yes — Moon and Smoke (Enchū no tsuki), from the series One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (Tsuki hyaku sugata) is part of the One Hundred Aspects of the Moon series (print 1 of 100) by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi.
Moon and Smoke (Enchū no tsuki), from the series One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (Tsuki hyaku sugata) depicts moonlight and night scenes.
Moon and Smoke (Enchū no tsuki), from the series One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (Tsuki hyaku sugata) measures 36 × 23.5 cm (Oban format).