The Oiran Kasugano of Ogiya on Parade under Blossoming Cherry Trees
Original title: The Oiran Kasugano of Ogiya on Parade under Blossoming Cherry Trees
kurzbeschreibung
Kitagawa Utamaro made this colour woodblock print on paper around 1788. It shows the courtesan Kasugano of the Ogiya house during a procession beneath flowering cherry trees, with other women in elaborate kimono around her.
Description
Women in traditional Japanese dress gather under blossoming cherry trees. Their kimono carry varied patterns and colours, among them pink, green and yellow. Figures stand and sit in a row; some gaze into the distance, others turn to look around. Cherry blossoms enter the picture through a window, while on a platform at the right a man in traditional clothing watches what is happening. The layout feels balanced, with the women at its heart and the man off to the right.
Context
When Utamaro made this print in the late Edo period, pictures of courtesans from the Yoshiwara district were widespread in ukiyo-e. Kasugano was a well-known oiran, a high-ranking courtesan, and parades like this one were public occasions on which beauty and status were put on display. The sheet belongs to a series of portraits of famous beauties that brought Utamaro his reputation. The cherry blossoms point to the season and to transience, a motif common in this era.
Impact
Strong colours and crisp outlines give the print a decorative yet calm presence. The balanced arrangement of the figures and the man's gaze create a watching atmosphere that draws the viewer into the scene.
Technique
Ink and colour were printed onto paper to make this nishiki-e. Precise contours and flat areas of colour mark the Japanese woodblock practice of the eighteenth century. Several blocks allowed for the delicate patterns and the range of tones in the kimono.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)