Artwork
雪月花 吉野|Cherry Blossoms at Yoshino (Yoshino), from the series Snow, Moon, and Flowers (Setsugekka)
雪月花 吉野|Cherry Blossoms at Yoshino (Yoshino), from the series Snow, Moon, and Flowers (Setsugekka) is an ink print by the Japonisme artist Katsushika Hokusai. It dates from 1833 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
This woodblock print, 'Cherry Blossoms at Yoshino', is part of the 'Snow, Moon, and Flowers' series by Katsushika Hokusai, created around 1833. It is a landscape print held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a crowded hillside path with people and animals, set against a backdrop of blooming cherry blossoms and a distant temple gate. The scene is characterized by soft pink blossoms and dark green trees, evoking a sense of seasonal change.
Technique & Style
The artist achieved a detailed and textured scene through the use of intricate lines and layered colors. The print's composition features delicate clouds of blossoms and a range of activities among the travelers, showcasing Hokusai's skill in conveying depth and movement.
Context
As part of the 'Snow, Moon, and Flowers' series, this print explores the changing seasons and the beauty of nature. The series is a reflection on the cyclical nature of time and the significance of natural motifs in Japanese culture.
Artist & collection
Artist
Katsushika Hokusai spent his life in Edo, now Tokyo, where he drew and carved prints for a living.
冨嶽三十六景 下目黒|Lower Meguro (Shimo Meguro), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)
東海道五十三次 四日市|Yokkaichi
諸國名橋奇覧 ゑちぜんふくゐの橋|Fukui Bridge in Echizen Province (Echizen Fukui no hashi), from the series Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces (Shokoku meikyō kiran)
百人一首 姥か恵と起 大中臣能宣朝臣|Poem by Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu Ason, from the series One Hundred Poems Explained by the Nurse (Hyakunin isshu uba ga etoki)
冨嶽三十六景 登戸浦|Noboto Bay (Noboto no ura), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)
東海道五十三次之内 日坂 佐夜の中山|Nissaka, Sayo Nakayama
冨嶽三十六景 身延川裏不二|View from the Other Side of Fuji from the Minobu River (Minobugawa ura Fuji), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)
東海道五十三次 坂の下|Saka no Shita
冨嶽三十六景 東海道品川御殿山の不二|Fuji from Gotenyama at Shinagawa on the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō Shinagawa Gotenyama no Fuji), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)
冨嶽三十六景 東海道品川御殿山の不二|Fuji from Gotenyama at Shinagawa on the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō Shinagawa Gotenyama no Fuji), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)