Female Figure

1959

Japanese, 1903 - 1975

A contemporary of Yanagi Soetsu and Hamada Shoji, Munakata Shiko was an artist who was closely associated with the sosaku hanga movement (prints designed, carved, and printed by the artist) in addition to the Mingei movement. While sosaku hanga was particularly focused on prints, its focus on individual artists was compatible with Yanagi Soetsu’s vision of a humble craftsperson who almost unconsciously produced art. In this print, the figure is bold and resists naturalizing details, but the artist has emphasized the form with diagonal lines in various spots on the body to denote a sense of shape.

Woodblock print

15 1/4 × 12 in. (38.7 × 30.5 cm)

Gift of the Estate of Robert M. Shields

2013.4.7

Photo: Elizabeth Mann

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Exceptionally Ordinary: Mingei 1920-2020, Dec. 14, 2019 - Sept. 6, 2021.

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