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Hokusai

            The work that I chose is a color woodblock print called "Drum Bridge at the Tenjin Shrine in Kameido" (Kameido Tenjin taiko-bashi) by Katsushika Hokusai. This particular piece is from his Wonderous Views of Famous Bridges in Provinces (shokoku Meikyo Kiran) series and dates from 1760-1849, during the Edo Period. The piece itself measures 9 7/8" x 15" in size. This type of woodblock print is also known as ukiyo-e, "pictures of the floating world." This piece contains a drum bridge in Kameido with villagers walking along the planks. The piece also displays a few buildings in the foreground and background as well. I chose this piece, because I really enjoyed the Japanese art period that we studied in class. The cultural aspects reflected in Japanese pieces are very much appealing to my eye.
             The lines used in this print display a very simple outlining technique. The lines are rather thin and add to the overall simplicity of the landscape. There is a use of smooth straight and curved lines to outline the buildings, parts of the bridge, and the water and clouds that lie amongst the landscape. The use of diagonal lines are used to show the roofs of buildings in the foreground and are also used to show the linear perspective of the bridge. The use of lines do not seem to be very prominent as they characterize the simplicity of Japanese art.
             Although woodblock prints started with the simple use of black and white, this particular piece by Hokusai contains the use of color, as it became appealing to the Japanese culture during the Edo time period. A rich green color is displayed in the vegetation along the waters at the foot of the bridge and in the distance along the other building in the background. The buildings, as well as the bridge itself, display a pale brown color to most likely characterize them as wooden structures. The various hues of blue shown in the waters and sky create an atmospheric perspective and sense of depth.


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