Souvenir Paintings from Ōtsu, Stocked in Edo (Edo shi-ire Ōtsu miyage) Foot-soldier with a Spear and Hawk-handler (Yari mochi yakko to taka shō)
Original title: Souvenir Paintings from Ōtsu, Stocked in Edo (Edo shi-ire Ōtsu miyage) Foot-soldier with a Spear and Hawk-handler (Yari mochi yakko to taka shō)
kurzbeschreibung
Where related sheets from the same series pair like with like, this print by Kitagawa Utamaro, made around 1802–3, sets two mismatched figures side by side: a foot soldier with a spear and a woman carrying a falcon. It is executed as a woodblock print in ink and colour on paper.
Description
On the left a foot soldier stands with his spear raised, his stance ready for a fight, his gaze fixed and fierce. Beside him on the right appears a woman in traditional dress, a falconer, a hawk perched on her arm and a cord in her hand. Both wear brightly coloured robes with elaborate patterns. Stylised black brushstrokes form the setting. The palette leans warm, with red and green accents, and the light falls evenly, without shadows.
Context
The sheet belongs to a series in which Utamaro imitates Ōtsu pictures, a popular art form from the town of Ōtsu on Lake Biwa. Familiar Ōtsu-e motifs are parodied here and combined with humorous or surprising touches. The date around 1802–3 places the work in Utamaro's late period, when he turned increasingly to satirical and light-hearted subjects.
Impact
The soldier's restless energy and the falconer's quiet grace meet in a charged contrast. Crisp lines and vivid colour give the image an immediate visual pull, drawing the viewer into the world of the Edo period.
Technique
The print was produced in the ukiyo-e woodblock method: the design is cut into wooden blocks, inked, and then pulled onto paper. Separate blocks are needed for each colour, so several printing passes follow one another, using ink and colour on paper.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)