Reclining Nude
1959
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
lithograph
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1980.45.1091
Art Historical Context
**Reclining Nude** (1959) is a striking lithograph by Shikō Munakata, the visionary Japanese printmaker whose bold, calligraphic style revolutionized modern woodblock printing. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Rosen Collection, this print captures a reclining female figure in a moment of serene intimacy, blending Eastern expressiveness with universal themes of the human form. Munakata, a leader in Japan's *sōsaku hanga* (creative prints) movement, was celebrated for his dynamic lines and spiritual energy, often drawing from folk art and Buddhism. Here, he ventures into lithography—a pl...