Zhu Shouchang
Original title: Zhu Shouchang
kurzbeschreibung
Utagawa Kuniyoshi's nineteenth-century Zhu Shouchang is a woodblock print in ink on thin paper, with several corrections pasted over the drawing. Unlike many contemporary sheets on a similar subject, it sets three figures before a large building with a tower, surrounded by trees and shrubs.
Description
Three figures occupy the foreground: an older person leaning on a stick, a middle figure holding an object, and a third looking toward the other two. Behind them rises a large, castle-like building with a tower. On the left stands a smaller roofed structure. At the upper right, a cartouche of Chinese characters explains the scene. The layout stays monochrome, with clear linework and emphatic contours.
Context
Made in the nineteenth century by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, a Japanese artist known for his woodblock prints, the sheet presents the historical figure Zhu Shouchang. It belongs to the Japanese ukiyo-e tradition, which often took up historical or legendary scenes. Woodblock printing was then a widely practised technique in Japan.
Impact
Clear lines and a calm arrangement give the image balance and a storytelling quality. The monochrome palette and traditional design convey a historical and cultural depth that draws the viewer into the scene.
Technique
This sheet is a woodblock print in ink on thin paper, with corrections pasted over the original drawing. Such interventions were typical of Japanese woodblock prints of the period, when several blocks were often used for the different colours and lines.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)