The Moon through a Crumbling Window
| Support Type: | Paper |
| Paint Type: | Ink |
| Current Location: | Multiple impressions survive in museum collections worldwide. |
| Location History: | As a woodblock print produced in multiple impressions, The Moon through a Crumbling Window is preserved in several museum collections worldwide, including the Art Gallery of New South Wales (Sydney), the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Kansas City), the Dayton Art Institute (Ohio), and the Worcester Art Museum (Massachusetts). Several impressions entered these collections through gifts or donations, contributing to their long-term preservation and public accessibility. |
Tsuki Hyakushi : Haso no Tsuki ( One Hundred Aspects of the Moon ; The Moon through a Crumbling Window ) was print no. #30 of the series by renowned and last Ukiyo-e master - Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. The artwork portrays a monk, Bodhidharma (Daruma in Japanese) who is seen meditating in a saffron colour robe. He was a former Indian prince and founder of Zen Buddhism which was a separate Japanese school. He was taught to attain enlightenment through Buddhist philosophy and meditation. Daruma is said to have travelled towards northern China in the 6th century and he meditated there for nine years facing a wall. Yoshitoshi in this woodblock print portrays that anecdote accurately. The Crumbling walls serves as the main visual element which inform us about the time and his dedication that even walls crumbled. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi in this print represents a real incident as he generally potrays famous people and battles through his special printing technique. In this composition Daruma is shown through a crumbling window, which was weathered with time under a soft yellow full moon. Whereas Daruma himself seen struggling with his thoughts as he appears intense, thoughtful rather than calm. The Moon through Crumbling Window print is located at many museum archives for preservation. One Hundred Aspects of the Moon was last and most renowned work of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi where he worked on human emotions, while addressing a story around them. The Moon through a Crumbling Window is one of them.
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