喜多親 清親：不忍池の雨 / Rain at Shinobazu Pond

Artist: Kobayashi Kiyochika 清親 (1847-1915)

Title: Rainy View of Shinobazu Pond 不忍池畔雨中図  Date: Circa 1876

A mother and her child walk on the path along Shinobazu Pond. She carries a western umbrella, while her son, in an amusing touch, shields himself from the rain with a make-do coverture.  It must be summer, as pink lotuses are blooming, floating in an almost Impressionistic array. We can see Benten Shrine in red in the distance, which was formerly included the shogun’s family temple, Kaneiji. Most of Kaneiji temple was destroyed in the Battle of Ueno in 1868, and this area became part of Ueno Park in 1873. So it is interesting to note that less than a decade before this scene, Shinobazu was within the confines of the Tokugawa-sponsored Kan-eiji Temple, whose grounds were the site of the last major battle between Imperial and shogunate forces. It is one of the few views of Tokyo that look quite similar today. This is an earlier version with a brown key-block, lighter than the one in the British Museum, which also has a black outline around the scene and a darker coloration. The mimicry of western engraving is very evident in this work, which is quite a scarce and highly regarded design. It has also been noted by James Ulak that Kiyochika’s signature, written loosely and horizontally, may be emulating western styles.

Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition. 

Dimensions: ôban (24.4 x 36 cm)
Publisher: Matsuki Heikichi
Literature: Kiyochika + Yasuji (2012), number 23, page 25. Hiroshige and Kiyochika (Ota Memorial Museum, 2015), number 154, page 110. See British Museum online and National Museum of Asian Art.

Signature: Kobayashi Kiyochika hitsu

SKU: KYC501