Pleasure Parties in Boats on the Sumida River under the Ryogoku Bridge
Original title: Pleasure Parties in Boats on the Sumida River under the Ryogoku Bridge
kurzbeschreibung
Women in traditional Japanese dress appear on a boat on the Sumida River. Kitagawa Utamaro made this sheet around 1796 as part of a six-part color woodblock print (a hexaptych). It presents a scene of urban pleasure.
Description
Several women in traditional Japanese clothing are gathered on a boat. Some are pinning up their hair, others are applying cosmetics. Behind them, more boats and a bridge over the river can be seen. The women sit on wooden benches spread across the deck. Reds, blues and greys dominate the palette, as was typical of woodblock prints of this period.
Context
The sheet dates from the late Edo period, when ukiyo-e art was flourishing. The Ryogoku Bridge and the Sumida River were among the popular places in Edo, today's Tokyo, for pleasure cruises and social gatherings. Utamaro was known above all for his portrayals of women, often from the pleasure quarters. This work belongs to a larger ensemble that documents the leisure culture of the city's population at the time.
Impact
The quiet, everyday scene and the natural light make the image feel immediate and intimate. Clear lines and a harmonious color composition give it a calm, aesthetically appealing presence. The viewer gains a glimpse into the private and sociable life of women in historic Edo.
Technique
Ink and colors on paper form the basis of this ukiyo-e woodblock print. It is a single sheet from a six-part print, which points to an elaborate production and high artistic ambition. Color woodblock printing allowed for precise lines and fine gradations of color, as visible in the details of the clothing and faces.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)