<b>FIREWORKS AT KAMO RIVER</b> / Kazuma Oda1931<b>SOLD</b></em>

Details

Executed in muted pastel-like colors, the artist provides us with a timeless image; Geishas gathered around a veranda enjoying fireworks overhead. At first blush, this design may not look modern, but the Western perspective, as well as the medium, gives away this work as one produced in the modern era by Japan's leading lithographer, Oda Kazuma. The artist was fascinated by Japan's radical changing landscape, often depicting scenes of newly erected bridges, buildings, and the bustling nightlife of the city. This traditional subject with no signs of modernity, executed in 1931 amid Japan's rise in modernism, is a departure for Oda. The muted tones and traditional subject give the work the warmth of familiarity. The design is a wistful longing for a more genteel and straightforward time.

Connoisseur's Note

This beautiful lithograph is a rarely seen large-scale work. Oda’s majority of prints are typically oban or chuban in size; this work is executed as a rarely seen double-oban format. The striking design in an atypical subject and small edition size make this one of Oda Kazuma’s most noteworthy and sought after works.