Description
This print by Katsushika Hokusai is inscribed with a melancholy poem by Minamoto no Muneyuki (died 939) on the upper right.
In the mountain village,
it is in winter that my loneliness
increases most,
when I think how both have dried up,
the grasses and people’s visits.
The mood of the hunters, however, contrasts with the poem. They appear to be merrily recounting stories of their hunting success while warming their hands around a roaring blaze. A long day in the winter cold has not dampened their spirits. With the bonfire, their straw winter gear, and the shelter of the hut at the right, they will enjoy both warmth and companionship this winter’s night.
In the mountain village,
it is in winter that my loneliness
increases most,
when I think how both have dried up,
the grasses and people’s visits.
The mood of the hunters, however, contrasts with the poem. They appear to be merrily recounting stories of their hunting success while warming their hands around a roaring blaze. A long day in the winter cold has not dampened their spirits. With the bonfire, their straw winter gear, and the shelter of the hut at the right, they will enjoy both warmth and companionship this winter’s night.
Provenance
(R. E. Lewis, Inc., California, sold to Mr. and Mrs. Kelvin Smith); The Kelvin Smith Collection, Cleveland, OH, given by Mrs. Kelvin [Eleanor Armstrong] Smith [1899–1998] to the Cleveland Museum of Art (?–1985); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1985–)
Poem by Minamoto no Muneyuki from the series One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets Explained by the Nurse
1835–36
Accession Number
1985.327
Medium
Color woodblock print
Dimensions
24.2 x 35.3 cm (9 1/2 x 13 7/8 in.)
Classification
Credit Line
The Kelvin Smith Collection, given by Mrs. Kelvin Smith
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