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Katsushika Hokusai Kintai Bridge in Suo Province (Suo no kuni Kintabashi) from Rare Views of Famous Japanese Bridges (Shokoku meikyo kiran) Price A$130 (unframed)) Status New reproduction Condition Excellent Size 395mm x 273mm Availability For sale

Kintai Bridge, situated along the River Iwakuni, in the province of Suo, in the present-day prefecture of Yamaguchi, is also known by the name of 'Bridge of the Brocade Sash' and owes its fame to its broad wooden arches and the strong stone pillars supporting it. The picture space is almost entirely filled by the bridge, which occupies the centre of the print. It is shown diagonally, in such a way that the observer can appreciate its full beauty. Across the river stand the stone towers of the castle of the daimyo Yoshikawa, immersed in the luxuriant foliage of the trees on the riverbank. Behind these rise the green slopes of a mountain whose summit soars out of the advancing fog into a leaden sky. Driving rain sweeps through the whole scene, whose dismal atmosphere is wonderfully conveyed by the skilful use of different shades of grey. The print is dominated by horizontal lines - the riverbank in the foreground, the elegant and rhythmic arches of the bridge, the far bank of the river, which crosses the entire sheet, the golden strip of fog and the slope of the mountain. The pouring rain is rendered with diagonal dashes, indicating that there is also a strong wind, confirmed by a closer look at the branches of the trees in the foreground, which are bent back by its force.

Gian Carlo Calza Hokusai Phaidon 1st English edn 2003