Details

In this electrifying image of a horse mid-leap, Chiura Obata captures not merely the physical form of the animal, but its essence—the restless vitality of muscle, spirit, and momentum. Executed in the monochromatic brush style of traditional sumi-e painting, the figure is rendered with sweeping gestures and sharp contrasts, evoking not only movement but the inner life of the subject. The horse appears weightless, suspended in a moment of kinetic grace, its tail and mane trailing behind like banners of ink in motion.

Obata’s stylistic control is extraordinary, fusing Eastern calligraphic expression with a modern sensitivity to anatomy and motion. This image does not merely depict a horse; it communicates the horse’s nature—fluid, wild, unbound. The empty background becomes a field of possibility, allowing the viewer’s imagination to trace the arc of the leap. Obata’s profound respect for both the animal and the art form results in a masterwork of formal elegance and emotional depth.

Connoisseur's Note

This print was produced in Japan in 1930 by the esteemed Takamizawa publishing house, working under the artist’s direct supervision. Obata, who had returned briefly to his native Japan after years in California, oversaw the production of a remarkable series of woodblock prints that year—each maintaining the precision and spontaneity of his original brushwork. Despite the complexity of translating sumi-e into carved blocks, the finished image retains the immediacy and vigor of the ink wash technique.

This design belongs to a suite of horse compositions that Obata developed during this intensive period of printmaking. The horse, a subject he returned to repeatedly over decades, became a symbol of vitality, resilience, and transformation. In East Asian art, the horse often embodies spiritual energy and the passage from earthly to ethereal realms. Obata’s version strips away all extraneous detail, revealing a form that is raw, distilled, and full of expressive power.