Untitled [Child with straw leggings]
Saitō Kiyoshi
Description
Saitō Kiyoshi 斎藤清
Japan, 1907–1997
Untitled [Child with Straw Leggings]
Shōwa era (1926–89)
Mid-20th century
Color woodblock print on paper
Bequest of Alva Gordon Sink, 1998/2.31
In this print Saitō Kyoshi has employed a range of techniques to
imbue a sense of warmth into a wintery scene in which a young child
braces herself for the cold weather. While the dark sky suggests an air
of mystery, the wooden fencing acts as a barrier, protecting the child
from the unknown beyond. Even the icicles dangling precariously
over her head seem to form a protective canopy. The artist has also
rendered the child’s garments using a muted palette of browns,
peaches, and buttermilk yellow that, in addition to her rosy cheeks,
make her seem to glow from within.
(Japanese Gallery Rotation, Summer 2025)
Subject Matter:
This image evokes winter in the deep "snow country" on the northwest coast of Japan, facing the Japan sea.
Physical Description:
A child ventures out into the deep snow, holding up his broad leggings which are insulated with straw. Behind him, the house wall is plastered with two messages: "Careful with fire!" and "Felecitations for the Spring Equinox".
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