Gonpachi ni Komurasaki no Toko no Tsuki
Original title: Gonpachi ni Komurasaki no Toko no Tsuki
kurzbeschreibung
A colour woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro from around 1795, presenting two figures in traditional Japanese dress. The sheet belongs to ukiyo-e, the movement that captured everyday life and the stage world of old Japan.
Description
In the foreground crouches a figure wearing a broad hat trimmed with a staff; a hand rests at the mouth, as if hiding a laugh. Beside them stands another figure in a dark, patterned kimono. A round window behind opens onto mountains and a lake. Greys, browns and greens set the restrained palette, and the light falls soft and even.
Context
The print was made in the late Edo period, when ukiyo-e circulated widely in Japan. Actors and courtesans ranked among the most popular subjects of the genre. Gonpachi and Komurasaki come from a popular kabuki play based on a true event.
Impact
Quiet and intimacy radiate from this view, carried by the muted colours and the delicate gesture of the laughing figure. The round landscape opening behind creates a contrasting sense of depth and draws the eye to the bond between the two figures.
Technique
For this woodblock print in ink and colour on paper, each colour is printed from its own wooden block, which demands the greatest precision in registration. The sheet measures 38.4 × 25.1 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)