Artwork
Evening in Fukagawa
Evening in Fukagawa is an ink print by Emil Orlik. It dates from 1900 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:signed and dated below image, at right, in graphite: Emil Orlik 1900; below image, at left, stamped with a square black stamp with Japanese characters; below image, by later hand, in graphite: 169; 155; K 59.-; on verso, by later hand, in graphite: E90. 165 (?)
About this work
Overview
Emil Orlik’s 1900 work Evening in Fukagawa is a color lithograph printed on wove paper. The composition presents a quiet night scene in the Fukagawa district of Tokyo, rendered in a restrained palette of blue, black, brown and yellow. The image balances architectural elements with natural surroundings, conveying a calm, nocturnal atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The print captures a modest Japanese structure with a tiled roof, set amid trees and a low fence under a deepening sky. A few distant stars punctuate the darkness, suggesting the transition from day to night. The tranquil setting reflects an appreciation for everyday urban life in a Japanese neighborhood, emphasizing stillness and subtle light.
Technique & Style
Orlik employed color lithography, layering separate plates to achieve nuanced hues and tonal depth. The use of blue and brown tones creates a sense of spatial recession, while fine line work defines the building’s details and foliage. The overall effect combines Western printmaking precision with an aesthetic sensitivity to Japanese scenery.
History & Provenance
Created while Orlik was active in Central Europe, the lithograph reflects his interest in Japanese subjects that was common among artists of the period. The work was produced in the early phase of his printmaking career, before his later focus on portraiture and sculpture. It remains part of collections documenting cross‑cultural exchanges in early twentieth‑century art.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Emil Orlik (21 July 1870 – 28 September 1932) was a Czech-German painter, etcher and lithographer. He lived and worked in Prague, Austria and Germany.
- The Old Mulford Farm
Apple Trees in Auvers (Pommiers a Auvers)
Watercolour drawing by the Grieve family, probably by Thomas Grieve, showing a hut at Margate
Shepherd's Hut on a Hillside (Bergerie sur le coteau)
Les Grandes Chaumières
Home, Sweet Home
Promenade
Farm at the Monastery (La ferme de l'abbaye)
Two Beams Floating in the Water
Shepherd's Hut on a Hillside (Bergerie sur le coteau)
Farm with Shed and Draw Well
Two Beams Floating in the Water