A Hawk on a Cliff near a Kiri Tree
c. 1716
Medium
Hand-colored woodblock print; o-oban, tan-e
Dimensions
55.8 × 28.8 cm (22 × 11 1/4 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
19169
Art Historical Context
Behold *A Hawk on a Cliff a Kiri Tree*, a striking hand-colored woodblock print by Torii Kiyomasu I, created around 1716. As a key figure in the Torii school—one of the earliest ukiyo-easties in Edo-period Japan (1603–1868)—Kiyomasu specialized in vibrant depictions of kabuki actors and beauties. This o-oban sheet, measuring an impressive 55.8 28.8 cm, showcases his versatility in capturing nature's drama, with a majestic hawk perched boldly on a rugged cliff beside a graceful kiri (paulownia) tree, its leaves fluttering in the wind. The tan-e technique, meaning "red picture," marks this as a...
About the Artist
Torii Kiyomasu I
Torii Kiyomasu I was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist working in the early eighteenth century, closely associated with the Torii school, one of the most important lineages in the history of Japanese woodblock printmaking. The Torii school was founded by Torii Kiyonobu, and Kiyomasu I is believed to have been either his son or a close pupil — the precise family relationship remains a matter of scholarly d...