Artwork Page for Carp Ascending a Waterfall

Details / Information for Carp Ascending a Waterfall

Carp Ascending a Waterfall

early or mid-1830s

Keisai Eisen 渓斎 英泉

(Japanese, 1790–1848)
Culture
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
Medium
color woodblock print
Measurements
Sheet: 72.4 x 24.2 cm (28 1/2 x 9 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Bequest of James Parmelee 1940.1049
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

In Asian lore the carp is associated with good fortune and perseverance. Although the carp lives primarily in quiet waters, its symbolic meanings have led to a Japanese design convention of showing the fish arching upward, often mounting waterfalls, as in this print.
A tall vertical woodblock print depicts a large carp swimming upward through falling water. Overlapping vertical bands of blue and white obscure the fish's dark, scaled body as it curves toward the lower right. A horizontal seam bisects the image. Japanese calligraphy and a red seal feature in the upper right corner against a tan background. Striated lines define the water, creating a sense of rushing downward movement.

Carp Ascending a Waterfall

early or mid-1830s

Keisai Eisen

(Japanese, 1790–1848)
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

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