Spirit of a Faithful Wife in a Waterfall
- Date:
- 1892
- Medium:
- Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper
- Format:
- Oban
- Dimensions:
- 36.8 × 25.4 cm
- Source:
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
Description
This 1892 print—one of the last works Yoshitoshi completed before his death—depicts the spirit of a faithful wife materialized within the rushing waters of a waterfall, her devotion so powerful that it transcends death. The waterfall setting was a conventional site for supernatural manifestation in Japanese legend, its constant roaring motion suggesting the persistence of passionate attachments beyond the grave. Yoshitoshi renders the translucent figure with technical mastery, blending the woman's form with the cascading water in a haunting meditation on loyalty and the supernatural.
More Prints by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
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)
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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
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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
Spirit of a Faithful Wife in a Waterfall was created by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (月岡芳年) in 1892.
Spirit of a Faithful Wife in a Waterfall depicts landscapes, waterfalls, and rivers & lakes.
Spirit of a Faithful Wife in a Waterfall measures 36.8 × 25.4 cm (Oban format).