Seru no Koku
Original title: Seru no Koku
kurzbeschreibung
Two women stand side by side, each holding a fan. This design by Kitagawa Utamaro was made around 1795 as a colour woodblock print in ōban format, printed with ink and colour on paper. Both figures wear traditional Japanese robes.
Description
On the left, a woman in a large pale hat stands with a fan; her blue kimono carries a floral pattern. Beside her on the right, a second woman in a black hat and green kimono also holds a fan with an intricate design. Both look in the same direction, their faces slightly tilted. A flat yellow field fills the background, and Japanese characters run along the top and left edges.
Context
Kitagawa Utamaro ranks among the outstanding ukiyo-e artists of late eighteenth-century Japan, celebrated for his pictures of women, especially courtesans and beauties. This print dates from the Edo period, an era of cultural flourishing and growing urban life. Produced as a woodblock print in multiple impressions, it reached a wide audience.
Impact
The symmetrical placement of the two figures gives the layout balance and calm. Clear, contrasting colours create a lively yet harmonious presence. Sharp lines and a restricted number of colour areas lend the sheet graphic concision.
Technique
Colour woodblock printing used several blocks, one for each colour. This method allowed fine lines and distinct shadows, as the visual analysis reveals. Ink and colour were printed on paper, a standard approach in Japanese ukiyo-e.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)