Full Moon Over Mountain Scenery
c. 1835
Medium
Color woodblock print; vertical oban diptych
Dimensions
70.2 × 23.5 cm (27 5/8 × 9 1/4 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
21723
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
**Full Moon Over Mountain Scenery** is a captivating color woodblock print by Keisai Eisen, a prominent Japanese artist of the ukiyo-e, created around 1835. This vertical oban diptych—two joined sheets measuring 70.2 × 23.5 cm—exemplifies the grandeur of Edo-period landscapes. Eisen, known for his delicate depictions of beauties and nature, here captures a luminous full moon illuminating jagged peaks and misty valleys, evoking the serene beauty of Japan's natural world. Woodblock printing, the hallmark of ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world"), allowed for vibrant, multi-layered colors applied through meticulously carved blocks—one for each hue and line. This affordable medium democratized art, bringing sophisticated imagery to everyday viewers during Japan's isolated Tokugawa era. Eisen's composition, with its tall format, draws the eye upward, emphasizing the moon's ethereal glow against dramatic silhouettes—a nod to traditional Japanese aesthetics of *wabi-sabi* and seasonal impermanence. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia department, this print highlights ukiyo-e's influence on global art, from Impressionism to modern design. Visitors can appreciate how Eisen masterfully balances light and shadow, inviting quiet contemplation of nature's timeless majesty.
About the Artist
Keisai Eisen · 1790–1848
Keisai Eisen (1790–1848), born Ikeda Yoshinobu in Edo (modern Tokyo), emerged as one of the late Edo period's most prolific ukiyo-e masters. The son of the renowned calligrapher and Kanō-school painter Ikeda Shigeharu, Eisen was immersed in the arts from childhood. He apprenticed under Kanō Hakkeisai, adopting the art name "Keisai" in homage to his teacher, and later studied bijin-ga (images of be...