Peak of Autumn (Seishū), 1966

Color woodblock print

26 13/16 x 20 7/16 inches (68.1 x 51.9 cm)

Philadelphia Museum of Art, Gift of Felix Juda, 1967

1967-115-5

In this print Hashimoto renders a vibrant view of autumn foliage at its peak as though seen from a wooden verandah playfully manipulating the scene’s perspectival logic. This striking visual composition, coupled with the print’s graphic, bold colors, evokes the insistent ephemerality of the seasons. Trained in Western-style oil painting, Hashimoto also studied woodblock printing with Hiratsuka Un’ichi, whose work is also present in the gallery. This print demonstrates his bold aesthetic, interweaving both Western and Japanese traditions, without privileging East or West, tradition or modernity.

Kimberly Schreiber