← Kitagawa Utamaro

Enjoying the Cool Evening Breeze on and under the Bridge (ca. 1800, Met-Objekt 4426)

Original title: Enjoying the Cool Evening Breeze on and under the Bridge

Artist

Kitagawa Utamaro

Date

ca. 1800

Medium

Two sheets of a hexaptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper

Dimensions

14 1/4 x 20 1/8 in. (36.2 x 51.1 cm)

Credit line

The Francis Lathrop Collection, Purchase, Frederick C. Hewitt Fund, 1911

kurzbeschreibung

Women stand together on a wooden bridge, chatting. Kitagawa Utamaro created the motif around 1800; what survives are two sheets from a six-part woodblock print, executed in ink and color on paper.

Description

Your eye drifts across kimonos with obi belts; some women carry umbrellas and fans, a hint of mild warmth. The bridge is made of plain wooden beams. Brown, beige, and orange dominate the palette, as is usual for woodblock prints. The light falls evenly, a result of the studio production.

Context

This print dates from the Edo period, when ukiyo-e prints circulated widely in Japan. Utamaro often turned to women in everyday situations. Woodblock printing required the collaboration of designers, block cutters, and printers.

Impact

The sheet conveys a calm, relaxed mood that invites you to linger. Warm colors and clear lines come together in a harmonious, aesthetically pleasing arrangement.

Technique

Several cut wooden blocks were used to transfer color onto the paper. Even lighting and precise contours are characteristic of this process.

AI-generated description text

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)