Man and Young Woman with a Ball
Original title: Man and Young Woman with a Ball
kurzbeschreibung
Kitagawa Utamaro is the artist behind this print, which presents a man and a young woman dressed in Japanese attire. A ball rests in her hand, while the man has taken his place behind her. No date is given; the image was printed in ink and color on paper.
Description
A red kimono patterned with flowers and birds clothes the young woman; her hair is styled high and ornamented, and she holds a ball. Behind her stands the man, looking over her shoulder, likewise in traditional dress with a topknot. Chinese characters, probably the artist's name or a title, appear along the upper edge. The sheet is narrow and upright in format, enclosed by a gold border.
Context
A leading figure of Japanese ukiyo-e in the eighteenth century, Kitagawa Utamaro devoted himself chiefly to images of women. Exactly when this work was made cannot be established; it belongs to his active years in Edo, present-day Tokyo. Such woodblock prints were part of popular culture and took up scenes from everyday life, nature, and the pleasure districts.
Impact
Quiet and elegant, the motif stands out, carried by clear contours and a balanced arrangement. Black, white, and red govern the sparing palette and give the sheet graphic clarity. The upright format with its gold border emphasizes the delicacy of the details.
Technique
Printing was done in ink and color on paper, by the woodblock method. The motif is transferred to wooden blocks, which are inked and pressed onto the paper, often in several passes for the different colors. Precise lines and flat areas of color distinguish the Japanese color woodblock print.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)