Three Revelers of the Lower Classes, Wearing Komuso Hats, with Small Boy and Dog
Original title: Three Revelers of the Lower Classes, Wearing Komuso Hats, with Small Boy and Dog
kurzbeschreibung
Three adults wearing komuso hats move through a lively dance or performance; a small boy and a dog stand to the left. Kitagawa Utamaro captured this group in a color woodblock print on paper, executed in ink and color. The date of the print is not recorded.
Description
One of the three adults holds a drum, another a long stick, and all three are caught in dynamic motion. At the left edge, a small boy in traditional clothing watches the activity, a white dog standing beside him. Hints of a building roof and a banner fill the background. Blues, greens, and browns dominate the subdued palette of garments and setting. Clear lines carry the movement and energy of the figures.
Context
In late 18th-century Japan, Utamaro ranked among the leading masters of ukiyo-e, whose reputation rests above all on depictions of women and scenes of everyday life. Komuso hats were worn by monks of the Fuke sect, who sought anonymity through this disguise. Figures from the lower classes belong to the standard repertoire of Edo-period printmaking. The print is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is in the public domain.
Impact
Lively poses and the interplay of the figures give the scene something immediate and animated. The muted colors feel calm and even, while balancing the dynamism of the figures.
Technique
The print was made as a woodblock print in ink and color on paper, as was customary for Japanese color woodblock printing. Clear contours and flat areas of color are the result of this process and render figures and setting with precision.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)