KOBAYASHI KIYOCHIKA: THE SECOND MONTH, MATSUCHIYAMA IN SNOW AT DUSK

拍品描述

KOBAYASHI KIYOCHIKA: THE SECOND MONTH, MATSUCHIYAMA IN SNOW AT DUSK By Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847-1915), signed Kiyochika and sealed Kiyochika Japan, dated February 1896 Color woodblock print on paper. Oban triptych. Signed Kiyochika and sealed Kiyochika; publisher Inoue Kichijiro (Teikado). Title Kisaragi, Matsuchiyama yuki no tasogare (The Second Month, Matsuchiyama in Snow at Dusk), from the series Tokyo meisho shinkei no uchi (True Views of Famous Places in Tokyo). Depicting a ferry boat, with its passengers shielding themselves under open umbrellas amid a heavy snowfall, traversing the calm waters of the Sumida River in Tokyo, with a distant view of Matsuchi Hill and the Taiko Bridge, both blanketed by an intense layer of snow. SIZE of the sheets ca. 37.4 x 25.7 cm (each), SIZE incl. frame 54.3 x 106 cm With a wooden frame and glass for presentation. Kiyochika produced his first landscape prints-views of Tokyo-in the late 1870s. This triptych, however, shows characteristics of his later landscape style with its softer tone, lighter colors, and obscured outlines. Lacking the western elements frequently found in his earlier prints, these representations of modern Tokyo appeared somewhat more traditional. This snow scene, depicting a ferry boat on the Sumida River in Tokyo, can be easily mistaken for a print by Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) or other artists of the Edo period (1615-1868). Between the distant cityscape and the ferry boat carrying the passengers in the foreground, there is large empty space, which also makes this composition look typically Japanese. To the far right is a steamer boat, a faint hint of modern Japan. Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847-1915) was born to a military retainer of the Tokugawa Shogun, he was a self-taught artist, although references are made to acquaintances with Japanese and Western artists. His landscape woodblock prints often depict scenes showing western influences and many are dramatically lit by the moon, newly introduced gaslights or fire. He has been described as ‘the last important ukiyo-e master and the first noteworthy print artist of modern Japan’. He is said to be the last ukiyo-e artist to lyrically depict Tokyo during the Meiji cultural enlightenment. Museum comparison: A closely related triptych is in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accession number 35.1883-5. Another closely related triptych is in the Art Institute of Chicago, reference number 1925.2349.

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