Nara (D)
Saitō Kiyoshi
Description
Subject Matter:
This woodblock print shows a person walking in the city of Nara, Japan. Adding the following: The person is shown as a black silhouette with no other features, walking alone past dark-roofed buildings. The lone figure is an oharame, firewood peddling maidens who originated from the town of Ohara. This occupation is a historic part of Japan’s culture, dying down around the Meiji Period. 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 scene has two trees and some logs jutting vertically out of the ground in the foreground, with some buildings and a figure walking in the background. The tree on the left in the foreground has a split trunk, and we can see some roots. The four logs are spaced fairly evenly in the center of the foreground, and the second tree is on the right in the foreground and leans to the right. Some leaves can be seen on the trees at the top of the scene. The ground in the background is white, and the figure walks in front of the buildings in the center right of the scene. The main and tallest roofline of the buildings is in the center of the background.
Usage Rights:
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