Schemersneeuw te Matsuchiyama

About this artwork

**Schemersneeuw te Matsuchiyama** (*Twilight Snow at Matsuchiyama a captivating color woodcut by Kobayashi Kiyochika from 1896, transports viewers to a serene winter moment at Matsuchiyama, a historic in Tokyo's Asakusa district for its temple and panoramic views. Kiyochika a master of late ukiyo-e printmaking during Japan's Meiji era (1868–1912), specialized in evocative landscapes that blended traditional Japanese aesthetics with emerging Western influences like subtle shading and atmospheric perspective. This intimate print (350 × 221 mm) captures the hush of dusk snowfall, evoking the transient beauty central to Japanese art. Printed using the meticulous woodblock technique—where artisans carved separate blocks for each color layer—Kiyochika's work exemplifies ukiyo-e's accessibility and vibrancy. Affordable yet exquisite, these prints were everyday treasures for Edo-period urbanites, and Kiyochika's snow scenes, in particular, highlight his skill in rendering light, mist, and mood, bridging old woodblock traditions with modern realism amid Japan's rapid Westernization. Adding allure is the collector's mark stamped beneath the image (Lugt 2228), linking this piece to esteemed European provenance and underscoring its global appeal. A gem for admirers of Japanese print culture, it invites reflection on nature's quiet poetry.