Girls Picking Green Leaves, from the illustrated book Flowers of the Four Seasons
Original title: Girls Picking Green Leaves, from the illustrated book Flowers of the Four Seasons
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike many contemporary prints that isolate a single beauty against an empty ground, Kitagawa Utamaro's 'Mädchen pflücken grüne Blätter' gathers several figures around a shared activity. This 1801 colour woodblock print on paper presents women and a child collecting green leaves in a rural setting, embedded in a scene typical of the Edo period.
Description
On the left, two women stand in traditional kimono and hairpins: one holds a fan and smokes a cigarette, the other carries a basket of green leaves. To the right, another woman kneels with a basket, while a child sits on the ground, also holding a basket. Mountains and trees suggest the countryside. Earth tones dominate the palette, with accents of green and pink in the costumes. Evenly distributed light points to a daytime scene.
Context
The print belongs to the illustrated book 'Blumen der vier Jahreszeiten', published in 1801 during the late Edo period. Utamaro was among the leading ukiyo-e artists and known for his depictions of women in everyday life. The scene reflects the period's interest in rural activities and nature as motifs, common in book illustration of the time.
Impact
Clear lines and harmonious colouring give the quiet, everyday scene a balanced and idyllic feel. The figures interact naturally, conveying an intimacy with rural life without seeming idealised.
Technique
For the woodblock print, ink and colours were printed on paper. Printing proceeded in several stages with different colour blocks, allowing the fine nuances and detailed rendering of the figures and background.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)