White Heron Castle

Dateca. 1919

Maker Tsuji Kako Japanese, 1870 - 1931

Label TextThis painting was likely a study for a larger work that Kakô submitted to the premier juried national exhibition in 1919. Kakô transformed the famous fortress at Himeji into a soft, dreamlike image. Stacked green and white shapes punctuated by black and gray squares suggesting windows are placed against a starlit sky to form the castle. Although the edifice dominates the composition, the almost exclusive use of color washes denies the solidity of the form.

Object number2010.41.27

Published ReferencesMichiyo, Morioka; Berry, Paul. "Modern Masters of Kyoto: The Transformation of Japanese Painting Traditions," Seattle, WA: Seattle Art Museum, 1999, p. 166, illus. 41.

Credit LineGift of Griffith and Patricia Way, in honor of the 75th Anniversary of the Seattle Art Museum

Dimensions104 3/4 x 15 7/8 in. (266 x 40.3 cm)

MediumInk and colors on silk