Asakusa Imado
Original title: Asakusa Imado
kurzbeschreibung
Kuniyoshi made this colour woodblock print around 1840, putting a group of figures to work against a smoking volcano. Everyday labour and the sheer bulk of the natural setting meet in this image, printed in ink and colour on paper.
Description
Several people in traditional dress stand in the foreground, busy at a volcano that sends up smoke. A second smoking peak rises behind it. At the upper left a tree reaches past the edge of the picture; blue sky, trees and a river close off the distance. Blue, brown and grey set the tone, as was usual for woodblock prints of the period. The figures stand out sharply, while the ground behind them is left less worked out.
Context
Kuniyoshi ranks among the major ukiyo-e artists of the nineteenth century. In the late Edo period, when this sheet was made, landscapes and scenes of daily life were popular as woodblock prints. The artist became known for lively layouts and for subjects drawn from history and myth.
Impact
A tension builds between the quiet landscape and the activity at the volcano. Crisp outlines and a restrained palette give the print a calm mood that is by no means lifeless.
Technique
Printed in ink and colour on paper, the woodblock allows precise contours and flatly applied colour, both of which mark the ukiyo-e prints of the era.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)