Sheer serenity
Japanese landscape by an unknown artist



Too busy to meditate? Gaze at this serene scene instead. To create prints, such as this tranquil landscape, Japanese artists carve their designs into the surface of a wooden block, usually of cherry wood. A different block is required for each color. Japanese printmakers of the 1800's prefer depictions of real landscapes, unlike the Chinese, who favor idealized scenes. Some prints of landscapes have become so popular that they have been printed again and again - until the blocks have worn out.