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Moon Lingering over Kiyomizu Temple

Photo: Eduardo Calderon

Moon Lingering over Kiyomizu Temple

late 1920s

Tomita Keisen

Japanese, 1879 - 1936

Kiyomizu Temple, located in the east of Kyoto, is recognized for its time-honored history dating from the eighth century, and a celebrated view from the main hall's exterior balcony. Japanese artists have represented the distinctive temple structure in the cherry blossom season over and over, and painter Tomita Keisen was no exception. On this work, Keisen innovatively portrays a misty evening at Kiyomizu by using soft brushstrokes. The moonlight casts a faint light upon cherry blossoms below, and beyond the temple the Higashiyama hills are veiled in mist.

Kyoto's Kiyomizu Temple is a scenic spot especially popular in spring when its signature viewing platform, supported by tall wooden pilings, is surrounded by cherry blossoms. In Keisen's night scene, the moon peeks out from behind the Higashiyama hills, casting a pale glow. This presence of the moon reinforces the cherry blossoms' metaphorical associations with the evanescence of life.
Ink, gold wash and colors on silk
84 9/16 x 21 3/8 in. (214.8 x 54.3cm)
Gift of Griffith and Patricia Way, in honor of the 75th Anniversary of the Seattle Art Museum
2010.41.39
Photo: Eduardo Calderon
location
Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum "Journeys in Landscape: Modern Art in Japan", November 26, 2004 - January 30, 2006
Published ReferencesMichiyo, Morioka; Berry, Paul. "Modern Masters of Kyoto: The Transformation of Japanese Painting Traditions," Seattle, WA: Seattle Art Museum, 1999, p. 183-184, illus. 50.

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