Erotic Print (Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Met-Objekt 4590)
Original title: Erotic Print
kurzbeschreibung
Kitagawa Utamaro's woodblock print presents a couple in Japanese dress. No date is given; the sheet was produced as an ink and colour print on paper. The subject belongs to shunga, the erotic imagery of ukiyo-e.
Description
A woman lies on her back while a man bends over her and holds her close. Both garments carry floral patterns; her long black hair is tied with a yellow band, his hair is short and black. Cups, bowls and a tray of food furnish the pictorial space. Japanese characters frame the scene and explain its content. Red, purple and grey dominate the palette, with yellow and white as accents.
Context
Utamaro ranks among the outstanding ukiyo-e masters of late eighteenth-century Japan. Shunga prints of this kind were widespread in the Edo period and served both instruction and private use. No exact date is known; the sheet was probably made during Utamaro's working years between 1780 and 1806. Such prints were usually produced in Edo, present-day Tokyo, and reached a broad public.
Impact
Despite the intimate subject, the layout stays calm and balanced: the figures are harmoniously set into the flat surface. Clear lines and restrained colours give the sheet an aesthetic elegance characteristic of Utamaro. Even light without harsh shadows emphasises the decorative, two-dimensional effect of the print.
Technique
For the woodblock print in ink and colour on paper, one printing block per colour had to be cut and then applied to the paper in succession. Precise lines and fine colour gradations point to high-quality execution.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)