臨海の村

This scene of Nakiri on Cape Daiō in Mie Prefecture shows a fishing village at dusk. Rising up the steep ria coastline like a staircase, the village houses give a sense of depth. On the right, a woman bearing a tub on her head goes about her business. Meanwhile, on the left, as if looking for clues about tomorrow's weather, three villagers gaze out over the Pacific Ocean. The sculptural rock surfaces and houses are depicted using guzumi, a mixture of ground seashells and sumi ink. Gold leaf applied to the back of the silk and the gold paint at the top of the painting give an impression of the afterglow of dusk. Hakō was born in 1887 in Kamigyō-ku, Kyoto. An ambitious work, Waterfront Village was painted during his first year of membership of Kokuga Sōsaku Kyōkai [Association to Create a National Painting Style] and was shown at the second association exhibition. Many young painters were impressed by it and later also joined the Kokuga Sōsaku Kyōkai.