Shadows on the Shoji
Original title: Shadows on the Shoji
kurzbeschreibung
A kneeling woman in traditional dress, occupied with a mirror — Kitagawa Utamaro captures this moment in his woodblock print "Schatten auf dem Shoji" from the 1790s. Executed in ink and color on paper, the sheet measures 39.4 × 25.4 cm.
Description
Over a dark robe with a leaf or floral pattern lies a green obi; her hair is pinned with an ornament. A mirror rests in her right hand. Behind the figure stands a shoji sliding-door cabinet on which the shadow of a wreath is outlined; to the left of it, a pot with a plant. Wooden floor and wooden wall form the space, light falls from the front and brings out shadows and fabric texture. The tones remain mostly muted, with strong light-dark contrasts.
Context
Utamaro is counted among the defining artists of ukiyo-e in late 18th-century Japan; he became famous for his depictions of women, many of them from the Yoshiwara pleasure district. In the 1790s, when this print was made, woodblock prints with everyday scenes and courtesan portraits were in strong demand. The shoji with the shadow image ties into a Japanese aesthetic that links the everyday with poetic motifs.
Impact
The print feels calm and intimate; the woman appears withdrawn. Dark garments and light shoji surfaces contrast and draw the eye to the central figure. Finely drawn lines and restrained colors create an elegant, almost silent atmosphere.
Technique
For this woodblock print, the motif was cut into a woodblock and pulled with ink and color onto paper. Sharp contours and clear lines correspond to the ukiyo-e technique. Several printing passes applied the colors, and the muted tones demanded particular finesse.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)