Shared Feelings in the Bedchamber of Komurasaki and Gompachi
Original title: Shared Feelings in the Bedchamber of Komurasaki and Gompachi
kurzbeschreibung
Two women share an interior, and they hold the whole of this colour woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro from around 1795. Ink and colour on paper carry the image, which belongs to the bijin-ga genre, the portrayal of beautiful women.
Description
One woman sits on a bed, a red obi at her waist and a headdress set with several rods; she looks upward and touches her cheek with one hand. Beside her stands a second woman in a black kimono patterned with crosses, her hair piled high and also topped with a headdress. A small round opening reveals a stretch of landscape. Earth tones govern the palette, picked out with red and green.
Context
This print appeared during the Edo period, when woodcuts circulated as a mass medium. Komurasaki and Gompachi come from a popular play based on a true love story. Utamaro was known for his pictures of women from the pleasure quarters, often shown in intimate situations.
Impact
A quiet, intimate mood settles over the scene, carried by even lighting and the earthy colours. The gestures and glances of the two women suggest an emotional closeness that draws the viewer into what is happening.
Technique
The design was cut into wooden blocks and then printed in colour on paper. Clean lines and strong colour contrasts mark the Japanese woodblock technique of the late eighteenth century.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)