Picture Book of the Foot and Peak of the Mountain - Kitao Shigemasa

A woodblock print from the 1788 illustrated book Ehon komagatake by Kitao Shigemasa, depicting a figure in a carriage amidst a stylised mountain setting.

This woodblock print originates from the illustrated book titled Ehon komagatake, published in 1788. Kitao Shigemasa, a prominent figure in the Ukiyo-e tradition, created these images to accompany literary narratives. The composition depicts a figure seated within an ornate carriage, drawn by a horse across a stylised, cloud-filled terrain. The mountain peaks in the background are rendered with delicate, rhythmic lines, typical of the period's approach to topographical representation.

Shigemasa was known for his versatility and his role in the development of the Ukiyo-e style during the late eighteenth century. His work often balanced the requirements of commercial book publishing with a refined aesthetic sensibility. The print displays a clear division between the foreground subject and the atmospheric background, a technique used to provide narrative context while maintaining a decorative quality. The inclusion of calligraphic text alongside the image is a standard feature of Japanese illustrated books, where the visual and the written word function as a unified whole.

The colour palette is restrained, relying on soft tones to define the carriage, the horse, and the surrounding environment. The lines are precise, reflecting the skill of the carver who translated Shigemasa's original drawings into the woodblock medium. This print offers a glimpse into the cultural output of Edo-period Japan, where literature and visual art were closely linked through the medium of the printed book. The work remains a representative example of the technical and artistic standards achieved by Ukiyo-e artists of the time.