Tosyodaiji (Tôshôdai-ji)
Saitō Kiyoshi
Description
Saitō Kiyoshi 斎藤清
Japan, 1907–1997
Tosyodaiji
Shōwa era (1926–89)
1955
Color woodblock print on paper
Gift of the artist, 1958/2.31
Traditionally, printmakers sanded down each woodblock in order
to produce prints with bold, evenly distributed color. In this print
depicting a triad of Buddhist statues located in Tōshōdaiji temple
(Nara prefecture), Saitō has opted to forego this step and preserve
the natural texture of the wood grain. This decision enabled him
both to reproduce the surface appearance of the wood from which
the depicted statues would have originally been carved and draw the
viewer’s attention toward the medium from which the print itself
was produced. This “meta” approach, in which a work of art refers
back to itself and its own creation, is characteristic of the modernist
movement with which Saitō aligned.
(Japanese Gallery Rotation, Summer 2025)
Subject Matter:
This print appears to be showing statues of divine figures, namely Buddha. There is an impression of robes created by texture on the middle statue, implying its identity. Furthermore, the location of the statues is in Toshodaiji, a Buddhist temple in Nara prefecture.
Physical Description:
This print depicts three figures standing on pedestals. They go from white to black (lightest to darkest) from the right. They appear to be facing outward from the semicircle they are placed in, the middle one facing the viewer. They are in a brown room with a window on the right side. There is a red seal and signature on the bottom right underneath the white statue.
Usage Rights:
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