Sealion Series: Sleeping at the Seashore
- Date:
- 2023
- Medium:
- Mokuhanga
- Dimensions:
- 33 × 24 cm
- Image courtesy of
- Artist Website
Description
In this 2023 Sealion Series print, sea lions are depicted at rest along a shoreline, a subject that invites close, unhurried observation of the animals' forms. Sleeping or resting figures in Japanese printmaking tradition — whether human or animal — emphasize contour and mass over action. Moilanen's mokuhanga technique, working with baren-applied water-based pigments on washi, allows for the soft, rounded volumes of marine mammals to be rendered through subtle tonal gradation. The seashore setting provides a compositional boundary between water and land, with the horizontal quality of both elements framing the resting animals. The overall mood is quiet and contemplative, suited to the stillness of the subject.
More Prints by Tuula Moilanen
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
Sealion Series: Sleeping at the Seashore was created by Tuula Moilanen in 2023.
Sealion Series: Sleeping at the Seashore depicts landscapes, seascapes, and animals.
Sealion Series: Sleeping at the Seashore measures 33 × 24 cm.