Moon in the Flames - enchūgetsu( Moon and Flame)
| Support Type: | Paper |
| Paint Type: | Ink |
| Current Location: | Multiple impressions survive in museum collections worldwide. |
| Location History: | Moon in the Flames (also translated as Moon and Smoke) was designed and published in Japan in 1886 as part of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi’s One Hundred Aspects of the Moon series. As a Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock print, multiple authentic impressions were produced from the original carved blocks. Over time, these impressions entered museum and private collections through acquisitions and donations. Today, surviving impressions are housed in several international institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), Yale University Art Gallery (New Haven), the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Art Gallery of New South Wales (Sydney). |
Moon in the Flame or as it literally translates Moon and Smoke by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi was made in 1886 through woodblock method on paper with ink and colour. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi was the last great ukiyo-e master. He produced artwork in large numbers and in multiple series which was often considered as the last burst of energy in which he created most of his artwork. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi's career was divided into two eras - the Edo era also during the Meiji Restoration and the westernisation in Japan of the modern era. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi was among the ones who helped preserve the Japanese culture alive through the medium he knows best- woodblock paintings. Moon in the Flame is the #22 print in one of the most famous paintings of the series - One Hundred Aspects of the Moon. This painting is the one of the few artworks which does not feature any famous battle or a portrayal of heroes however this painting features a firefighter in blue colour robe with clan's sign on the head's cap who is flying a kite to master the wind i.e, observe the wind direction and also believed it a protective charm. Moon, the main element of the series is covered in smoke. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi used to capture the heroes and battles and this is just one of the local struggles faced by the locals as wind- driven fires was very common and firefighter played a significant role in it. Moon in the Flame is currently located at multiple places which indicates the significance of firefighters in ancient as well as modern era.
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