The Lovers Miura-ya Komurasaki and Shirai Gonpachi
Original title: The Lovers Miura-ya Komurasaki and Shirai Gonpachi.
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike many contemporary love-pair prints that lean on dramatic scenes, this sheet by Kitagawa Utamaro, made around 1797, puts the couple's togetherness front and center. The colour woodblock on paper presents two figures in traditional Japanese dress, locked in a close embrace. It belongs to the ukiyo-e genre, which depicts life in the pleasure quarters and the people who inhabited them.
Description
Two figures lie in each other's arms: the one on the left wears a red-and-white striped obi, the one on the right an orange sash with a floral pattern. Black hair styled high and headwear are part of the traditional attire of both. The figure on the right holds a large dark fan. Chinese characters in the background likely give the names or title of those portrayed. Warm tones—red, orange, brown—dominate the palette; even light brings out contours and textures.
Context
Utamaro made this woodblock in the late Edo period, when ukiyo-e art was at its height. The sheet comes from a series of famous lovers known through theatre and the pleasure quarters; Miura-ya Komurasaki and Shirai Gonpachi hail from Kabuki theatre. Utamaro was regarded as a specialist in beauties and actors, often emphasising intimacy and elegance. It was printed in Edo, present-day Tokyo, and such prints circulated widely among the urban population.
Impact
A quiet, familiar mood emanates from the print, carried by the warm colours and the balanced layout. The embrace feels tender and underscores the couple's closeness, while the fan introduces a touch of elegance and movement. Clear lines and flat areas give it the aesthetic concision characteristic of woodblock printing.
Technique
Several woodblocks were used for printing, one per colour, with ink and colour on paper. This method allows both precise lines and flat colour applications, as is typical of ukiyo-e. Colours were layered in multiple printing passes to achieve the detailed patterns and shading.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)