Snow Scene in Ueno Park

Accession Number
1982/2.23

Title
Snow Scene in Ueno Park

Artist(s)
Takahashi Hiroaki

Object Creation Date
1920s

Medium & Support
color woodblock print on paper

Dimensions
9 5/8 in. x 6 7/8 in. ( 24.45 cm x 17.46 cm )

Credit Line
Gift of Professor Rose Vainstein

Label copy
Kawase Hasui and Takahashi Hiroaki both worked in concert with the prolific twentieth century publisher of woodblock prints Watanabe Shôzaburô (1885-1962). Their poetic and often times nostalgic landscape prints, very much following Edo period print master Andô Hiroshige’s foot prints (whose works are also shown in the gallery), have been highly sought after by collectors in Europe and North America.
Kawase Hasui was especially known for his skillful depiction of landscapes and night scenes. His passion for landscapes led him to travel extensively throughout Japan, keeping a sensitive eye on his surroundings and sketching scenes from his journeys. His close attention to atmospheric conditions and light brought him much success and one year before his death Kawase was awarded the great honor of Living Cultural Treasure for his 1956 print “Snow at Zôjôji Temple.”
Takahashi was trained in Japanese style painting (Nihonga), and dedicated much of his time to creating paintings for exhibitions as well as illustrations for scientific publications. While Kawase’s prints focus on notable places and landscapes, Takahashi’s work attempts to capture the essence of Japanese culture and everyday life.
(Japanese Gallery Rotation, Spring 2010)
(6/28/10)
*Gallery Rotation Winter 2011 (January 2011)
Takahashi Hiroaki
Japan, 1871–1944
Snow Scene in Ueno Park
1920s
Taisho Period (1912–26)
Color woodblock print on paper
Gift of Professor Rose Vainstein, 1982/2.23

Subject matter
Takahashi Hiroaki worked in concert with the prolific twentieth century publisher of woodblock prints Watanabe Shôzaburo (1885-1962). His poetic and often times nostalgic landscape prints, very much following Edo period print master Andô Hiroshige’s foot prints (whose works are also shown in the gallery), have been highly sought after by collectors in Europe and North America.
Takahashi was trained in Japanese style painting (Nihonga), and dedicated much of his time to paintings for exhibitions and illustrations for scientific publications. Takahashi’s work attempts to capture the essence of Japanese culture and everyday life.

Physical Description
Snow falls during a night scene in Ueno Park, located in the Tokyo area. Weary, snow-heavy travelers trek through the scene. One may be heading into a shop to have something warm to eat, while the other heads towards a small bridge and a red torii gate topped with snow. A pine tree arches in from the left corner and arches over the scene, framing the park against the gray, snow-dotted sky.

Primary Object Classification
Print

Primary Object Type
color print

Additional Object Classification(s)
Print

Collection Area
Asian

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

Keywords
Ukiyo-e
gates
parks (grounds)
snow
snow (precipitation)

1 Related Resource

Winter Break SC 2018
(Part of 2 Learning Collections)

& Author Notes

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