White Heron Castle

ca. 1919

Japanese, 1870 - 1931

This 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.

Ink and colors on silk

104 3/4 x 15 7/8 in. (266 x 40.3 cm)

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

2010.41.27

Not currently on view

Resources

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.

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