Concise Illustrated Biography of Monk Nichiren: Rock Suspended by the Power of Prayer on Komuro Mountain
Original title: Concise Illustrated Biography of Monk Nichiren: Rock Suspended by the Power of Prayer on Komuro Mountain
kurzbeschreibung
The monk Nichiren is said to have made a boulder float at Mount Komuro through the power of his prayer alone. Utagawa Kuniyoshi captured this event in a colour woodblock print in 1835–36, using ink and colour on paper, measuring 22.5 x 34.9 cm. The sheet belongs to an illustrated biography of the monk and tells the miracle in a single image.
Description
In the foreground a monk in an orange robe prays, while beside him a second monk in a grey garment kneels, hands also raised in prayer. To the right stands a man in traditional Japanese clothing, carrying a weapon and looking ready for battle. Behind them stretches a landscape of rocks, trees and water; above, a pale blue sky arches before high mountains. Bold colours, sharp outlines and clearly separated areas define the print.
Context
The series of woodblock prints from which this sheet comes portrays the life of the Buddhist monk Nichiren (1222–1282). Kuniyoshi worked on it in the 1830s, when historical and religious subjects were in strong demand in Japanese printmaking. The legend of the floating rock at Mount Komuro was meant to attest to Nichiren's spiritual authority. Such picture cycles served both religious edification and the entertainment of a broad public.
Impact
Figures in dramatic poses meet a quiet, sublime nature, bringing out the contrast between earthly strife and spiritual superiority. The bright colours and precise linework give the sheet a lively, narrative quality that draws the viewer directly into the event. Although the medium is static, the floating rock creates an impression of movement.
Technique
The sheet was produced using the ukiyo-e colour woodblock printing method, in which ink and colours are printed on paper. Multiple colour areas could be precisely superimposed with this technique; the sharp outlines came from the woodblocks. Kuniyoshi used the method to render both fine details and strong, flat colours.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)