“The Steadfast Tin Soldier” 不動のブリキの兵隊

10

This illustration done for a children's novels uses bright colors and simple figures to appeal to a youthful audience.  The artist Shigeru Hatsuyama studied painting in the Japanese styles and was known for his work in the genre of sosaku hanga, or wood block painting, a style of art popular in Japan in the 20th century.  The piece uses a gradient of color for the water and small geometric bubbles to simulate movement. The art, despite being for a child's eye remains still remains in many ways complex and abstract. The piece incorporates both cartoonish elements of the tin solder and elements that ring true to the artists background in traditional Japanese style art such as the koi fish.