Daitokuji, Kyoto

Subject Matter:

This print is of Daitokuji, a Buddhist temple in Kyoto that serves as the head temple of the Rinzai sect's Daitokuji school of Zen Buddhism.
The composition of the print bears some similarity to (1959/2.28) Rain which was done a year prior in Michigan. The zagging segments provide a dynamic and eye-catching composition. 

This is an example of the Creative Print (Sōsaku hanga) movement, a style of prints that emphasized unconventional abstracted prints made solely by one artist, emerged from Japan and later played a role in improving post World War 2 American-Japanese relations. As he does with many of his other prints, Kiyoshi uses imagery of a traditional pre-war conception of Japan in the style of modern art to help shift Japan’s reputation in America. 

Physical Description:

This print depicts a segmented gray ground with trees dispersed throughout the space. Along a wall is a roofed building that serves as an entrance. A signature and red seal are in the bottom right.

Usage Rights:

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