<b>HEAVY SNOW AT THE TOSHOGU SHRINE IN UENO</b> / Kobayashi Kiyochika1879<b>SOLD</b></em>

Details

 The Meiji-era artist Kobayashi Kiyochika is known to have bridged Edo-period ukiyo-e with early 20th–century artistic innovation. His work synthesized western artistic traditions with a self-awareness of the rapidly changing culture that he occupied, paving the way for the Hanga movements that followed him.

In this charming design, the artist presents a scene in freshly fallen snow at Toshogu Shrine in Nikko. A woman in traditional dress—adorned in a kimono, wooden shoes, and a paper umbrella—emerges out from between the shrine’s torii gates as she attempts to navigate the snow-covered ground.

Kiyochika provides the viewer with a scene that is as traditional as it is idyllic. However, the Western composition reveals a fresh look at the subject with newfound eyes. It perhaps hints at the complex social and economic shifts changing minds beyond the confines of this shrine as the Meiji era unfolds.

Connoisseur’s Note

Due to the artist’s popularity, many states and impressions of Kiyochika’s designs exist. This print is an early impression produced during the artist's lifetime. The cartouche at the right margin indicates the publisher as Fukada Kumajiro, the correct attribution for this early version. The fine printing of the intricate writing within the cartouche also supports