Back to gallery
Udo Turret, Kumamoto Castle

Art Appreciation

This evocative ukiyo-e print captures a rainy scene at Kumamoto Castle, where towering walls and traditional white buildings peek through thick, lush greenery. The composition draws the eye upward, following the diagonal lines of the rain that streaks across the entire image like a silent drumbeat, creating a rhythm that you almost feel on your skin. In the foreground, a lone figure clad in a deep purple kimono holds a classic Japanese umbrella, its warm ochre tone standing out vividly against the cooler hues surrounding it. The wet pavement reflects the subdued light, deepening the sense of solitude and quiet reverence.

The artist uses traditional woodblock printing techniques to blend subtle gradients with sharp, defined outlines, crafting a harmonious balance between detail and atmosphere. The muted gray sky contrasts with the rich greens of the trees and the stoic architecture, emphasizing nature’s presence and the castle’s enduring strength. This artwork breathes history and calm, inviting viewers to ponder the layered stories of the castle’s past overseen by an ever-persistent rain. The emotional impact is a gentle mixture of melancholy and peace, embodying a moment suspended in time—a serene solitude only found in the heart of a softly falling rain.

Udo Turret, Kumamoto Castle

Hasui Kawase

Category:

Created:

Date unknown

Likes:

0

Dimensions:

843 × 1235 px

Download:

Related artworks

Japanese Landscape Series: Amakusa Territories 1922
Travel Notes I (Souvenir from the Journey, First Collection) Kohama Horikawa 1920
Snow at Kiyosumi Garden
Hall of the Great Buddha
Twenty Views of Tokyo: Yaguchi (1928)
Snow at Zojoji Temple 1922
Snow on the Shinkyo Bridge, Nikko
Nagasaki Shofukuji Temple
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine 1931
Night Cherry Blossoms of Koganei
Ikegami Honmonji 1931
Evening Glow at Yanaka