Girls Getting on Board a Boat, from the illustrated book Flowers of the Four Seasons
Original title: Girls Getting on Board a Boat, from the illustrated book Flowers of the Four Seasons
kurzbeschreibung
Three young women step aboard a boat at the landing, a motif taken from Kitagawa Utamaro's illustrated book Flowers of the Four Seasons of 1801. The colour print sets an everyday moment beside decorative elegance. Utamaro, celebrated for his pictures of women in the Edo period, made the sheet as part of an anthology of seasonal subjects.
Description
Lean over the gunwale go three women in traditional Japanese dress. The middle figure, in a pink kimono patterned with flowers, turns her head back, while the other two look down into the boat. Posts and a bridge break up the background. The layout reads as symmetrical, and the colours are muted, close in tone. An even light rests on the scene with no visible shadows.
Context
Utamaro produced this sheet in 1801 for the anthology Flowers of the Four Seasons. The artist was famous in the Edo period for portraying women of the pleasure quarters. The book format allowed scenes to be shaped intimately and on a small scale.
Impact
A quiet balance governs the calm, symmetrical arrangement. Muted colour and even lighting give a detached, almost timeless mood. The middle figure, glancing back over her shoulder, draws the viewer into what is happening.
Technique
Ink and colour on paper, printed as a woodblock: a standard method of the Japanese colour print. Several passes laid down the colours, while fine lines of black ink define the contours. At 17.1 × 25.1 cm the sheet matches the small format of the book layout.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)