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Travel Notes III (Osaka Kōzu, 1924)

Art Appreciation

This serene woodblock print captures a quiet evening scene from 1924, where a traditional Japanese pavilion overlooks a vast cityscape under a deep, star-dotted sky. The intricate detailing of the pavilion’s tiled roof and wooden beams dominates the foreground, their textures rendered with delicate gradations of gray and black. Beyond the structure, faint twinkling lights hint at a distant urban sprawl, creating a subtle contrast between nature and civilization. The cool, deep blue of the twilight sky envelops the scene, evoking a peaceful calm that invites the viewer to silently contemplate the transitional moment between day and night.

The composition is masterfully balanced; the strong horizontal lines of the roof are counterpoised by the vertical pillars, while the stone pavement in the foreground guides the eye gently into the depth of the image. The single shining star above adds a poetic touch, imbuing the work with a sense of quiet wonder and timelessness. This print exemplifies the shin-hanga movement’s emphasis on blending traditional Japanese woodblock techniques with Western influences in light and perspective, producing a deeply atmospheric and emotionally resonant work.

Travel Notes III (Osaka Kōzu, 1924)

Hasui Kawase

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Created:

1924

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Dimensions:

4228 × 6200 px

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