Album of Ninety-eight Prints from the series Ogura Imitations of One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets (Ogura nazorae hyakunin isshu)
Original title: Album of Ninety-eight Prints from the series Ogura Imitations of One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets (Ogura nazorae hyakunin isshu)
kurzbeschreibung
In the 19th century Utagawa Kuniyoshi produced an album of 98 woodblock prints in ink and colour on paper. One sheet from it sets a portrait of a figure in traditional Japanese dress, seated on a bench and gripping a sword hilt, alongside calligraphy and further small illustrations.
Description
The sheet divides into two zones: a title block of Japanese script sits at the top, with the portrait beneath it. The figure wears a blue upper garment patterned with flowers over a red lower part, rests on a bench and closes a hand around the sword hilt. Trees and a building are hinted at behind. Blue, red and brown carry the palette, held together by crisp outlines and flat, clearly separated areas of colour.
Context
Woodblock prints circulated widely in 19th-century Japan, and Kuniyoshi stood out with historical subjects and portraits. This series alludes to the classical anthology Hyakunin isshu, recasting its motifs in fresh pictorial arrangements.
Impact
The plain structure and strong colours give the sheet a quiet, dignified presence. The direct rendering and the sitter's composed posture make the portrait feel at once intimate and formal.
Technique
The prints were pulled by woodblock, transferring colour to paper. Ink and colour on paper allow fine lines and broad flat tones of the kind characteristic of Japanese printmaking.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)