Seiro Niwaka Onna Geisha no Bu Tojin Shishi Sumo
Original title: Seiro Niwaka Onna Geisha no Bu Tojin Shishi Sumo
kurzbeschreibung
Made around 1791, this colour woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro belongs to the Seiro Niwaka series. Three women in traditional dress stand close together, each responding to the others. The subject is drawn from the world of the pleasure quarters.
Description
Three women appear on a plain ground with an abstract, textured surface. The central figure wears a large, richly ornamented hat and grips a sword hilt. To the left stands a woman in a simple cream-coloured obi with her hair knotted high; on the right, another holds a fan and wears a checkered obi. Earth tones set the palette, enlivened by touches of red and blue. Placed tightly together, the figures stress their closeness, while their faces register distinctly different expressions.
Context
Utamaro made this sheet around 1791, at the height of the ukiyo-e woodblock tradition. The Seiro Niwaka series takes as its subject everyday life in the Yoshiwara pleasure district of Edo, present-day Tokyo. Courtesans and geishas ranked among the favourite subjects of printmaking in that era.
Impact
Clean outlines and a calm layout give the print an elegant, almost ceremonial presence. The carefully worked faces and restrained colour draw the viewer straight into the intimate scene.
Technique
Full-colour printing (nishiki-e) with ink and colour on paper made possible delicate gradations and precise lines, both clearly visible here. As an ukiyo-e woodblock print, it is a typical product of the printmaking of its day.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)