Fan Vendor
Original title: Fan Vendor
kurzbeschreibung
Two women in Japanese dress stand close together, one holding a fan painted with a face. Kitagawa Utamaro captured this scene around 1797 in a colour woodblock print (nishiki-e); behind the figures lies a dark ground from which a large fan-shaped form emerges.
Description
The woman on the left wears a kimono patterned with dots and lines, and a flower-shaped ornament sits in her elaborately styled hair. Her smile is hinted at, her gaze drifting slightly to the left. On the right stands the second woman, holding the fan with the painted face, her hair tied in a knot. A large crescent-like object dominates the dark background, recalling a fan or a part of one. Light falls on the figures from above, tracing contours and surfaces.
Context
The print belongs to the late Edo period, when ukiyo-e reached its peak. Female vendors and courtesans from the pleasure quarters were common subjects, and the fan seller fits into this field. Made around 1797, the sheet falls into a phase when Utamaro gained greatest fame for his elegant portrayals of women (bijinga).
Impact
A quiet, familiar everyday scene shapes the impression; the two women seem relaxed and turned toward each other. Clear contours and restrained areas of colour give the sheet something delicate and fine, characteristic of Utamaro's work.
Technique
Several printing blocks were used for this colour woodblock print (nishiki-e), each for a separate colour. Sharp contours and smoothly applied colour areas fully match the practice of Japanese woodblock printing at the end of the eighteenth century.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)