Girl Filling a Bucket with Sea Water
Original title: Girl Filling a Bucket with Sea Water
kurzbeschreibung
Utagawa Kuniyoshi's woodblock print 'Girl Filling a Bucket with Sea Water', made around 1830, belongs among his surimono. A woman in traditional Japanese dress fills a bucket at the shore. The sheet is a surimono in ink and colour on paper.
Description
A striped kimono and a head covering shape the woman's appearance, and a sea cloth rests over her shoulder. Roped to her back she carries one bucket while she scoops from another standing on the beach. Waves frame the setting behind her, warm reds and browns set against the cool blues of the water. Natural light heightens the seaside mood. Text elements in the image presumably repeat the title and further details.
Context
The ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861) is known above all for his woodblock prints. Surimono were elaborately printed, often private occasional prints, given out for special events such as the New Year. This sheet dates to around 1830, a period in which Kuniyoshi had already published successful series such as the '108 Heroes of the Suikoden'.
Impact
Everyday labour here carries a quiet, poetic mood. Because warm and cool tones face one another, the layout feels harmonious and balanced, drawing the viewer into the beach scene.
Technique
For this sheet Kuniyoshi used woodblock printing (surimono) in ink and colour on paper. Surimono are distinguished by delicate lines, high-quality pigments and often elaborate printing techniques such as blind embossing. The dimensions of roughly 21.3 x 18.7 cm match the small format of the genre.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)