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Stone Bodhisattva in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

A work made of woodblock print.

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  • A work made of woodblock print.

Date:

1971

Artist:

Hiratsuka Un’ichi
Japanese, 1895-1997

About this artwork

Hiratsuka Un’ichi was one of the major figures to emerge from the sosaku hanga (creative print) movement in Japan. He taught printmaking at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts from the inception of its Department of Printmaking in 1935. His mature period is characterized by prints done in black ink only, a style that sprang from his appreciation for the Japanese traditions of ink painting and line drawing.

His subjects vary a great deal but include Buddhist images, monuments, and portraits of friends and family members. He made this work after his 1966 move to Washington, D.C., the city that would be his home for most of the next 30 years.

In 1962 Hiratsuka traveled to the United States for the first time to visit his daughter in Washington, DC, and ended up settling there for 33 years. He could often be seen around the city, sketchbook in hand, drawing the buildings and sculpture he encountered. Here, in one of his largest works, we see a stone bodhisattva in the Freer Gallery of Art. He remained interested in the historic monuments of Asia—especially Buddhist sculpture—throughout his life.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of Asia

Artist

Hiratsuka Un'ichi

Title

Stone Bodhisattva in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Place

Japan (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1966–1976

Medium

Woodblock print

Dimensions

83.6 × 59.8 cm (32 15/16 × 23 9/16 in.)

Credit Line

Hiratsuka Un'ichi-Van Zelst Family Collection

Reference Number

2007.381

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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