Skip to main content

Nostalgia (Boston)

Saitō Kiyoshi

Artwork Details

Nostalgia (Boston)
1956
Saitō Kiyoshi
color woodblock print on paper
20 7/8 in x 15 1/4 in (53 cm x 38.7 cm);22 in x 28 in (55.88 cm x 71.12 cm);23 7/16 in x 17 1/2 in (59.5 cm x 44.5 cm);15 1/16 in x 18 in (38.3 cm x 45.7 cm)
Gift of the artist
1958/2.36

Description

Subject Matter:

This woodblock print shows a city scene of Boston in the snow.
The title "Nostalgia" and the snow scene may refer to Saito Kiyoshi's first works, Winter in Aizu. Though in a very different style, the artist may have felt a sense of familiarity in depicting a snowy town, something he hadn't done since his snowscapes in Aizu. 
This print is one of a collection of prints that were inspired by his trip to the US in 1956 at the invitation of members of the US Department of State. 

Physical Description:

The scene shows a group of buildings with white colored rooftops. Two buildings rise up in the foreground on the right and left. The right building has a red side with vertical lines hashed into it. The left building has two white triangles on its roof. In the middle ground is a smaller building with a green-domed tower rising up the middle of the composition. A small red figure stands on the white ground to the right of this tower. The background shows the large white rooftop of another building, with small dark rooflines of buildings visible behind it.

Usage Rights:

If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.