Girls Entertained by Performers, from the illustrated book Flowers of the Four Seasons
Original title: Girls Entertained by Performers, from the illustrated book Flowers of the Four Seasons
kurzbeschreibung
From Kitagawa Utamaro's illustrated book Flowers of the Four Seasons, published in 1801, comes the sheet titled Girl Entertained by Performers. Printed as a woodblock in ink and colour on paper, it presents a group of women in traditional dress enjoying music and amusement in an interior room.
Description
A woman in the foreground, dressed in a pink and green kimono, holds a fan. Beside her stands a man in traditional clothing playing a musical instrument. Other women, conversing, can be made out further back. Plants and flowers push into the room through the windows, while the light falls gently on the figures. The warm palette stays largely within pink, green and beige, and the layout has a balanced, symmetrical feel.
Context
The year 1801 places this work in a later phase of Utamaro's career, when he was known for his portrayals of women and scenes of daily life. It belongs to the illustrated book Flowers of the Four Seasons, which counts among the ehon, or picture books. Such books grew popular in the Edo period and served a well-off urban readership as both artworks and entertainment.
Impact
A quiet, intimate mood comes off the sheet, carried by the warm colours and soft light. The symmetrical arrangement and the calm gestures of the figures produce a harmonious, almost idyllic atmosphere that draws the viewer into the scene.
Technique
Ink and colours were printed onto paper for this sheet, a woodblock print. Several precisely registered blocks were used to achieve fine nuances and details. Typical of Utamaro's style is the linework, with elegant, flowing contours.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)