Windy Field (Nowake)
Artist
Iwashita Hiromichi
(Japanese, b. 1942)
Datedated 1993
PeriodHeisei period (1989-2019)
MaterialsCarved wood and paper with gouache and graphite
DimensionsH. 72 in x W. 94 in x D. 3 in, H. 182.9 cm x W. 238.8 cm x D. 7.6 cm
Credit LineGift of Dr. and Mrs. David Buchanan with assistance from Gallery Japonesque
Object number2001.11.a-.f
DepartmentJapanese Art
ClassificationsSculpture
On View
Not on viewThe wood surface of these six separate panels was laboriously chiseled in a pattern that flows rhythmically. To soften the surface, a layer of paper was laid down and over this a coating of red opaque watercolor (gouache) was applied. The gouache was then covered with strokes of graphite. This process gave the surface a complex color quality: the red of the gouache can be seen through the gray of the graphite, resulting in a color that is neither gray nor red.
Like many Japanese works, this piece is somewhat deceptive. Behind its seemingly simple and rustic appearance lies a painstaking and time-consuming process. This is a quality that is often admired in Japanese art.
approx. 1850-1900
approx. 1850-1900
approx. 1850-1900
approx. 1850-1900
1850 - 1900
1850 - 1900
1850 - 1900
1850 - 1900