Picture of Mitsumata
Original title: Picture of Mitsumata
kurzbeschreibung
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861) made this colour woodblock print on paper. It presents a river landscape with boats, bridges and people at work along the bank, a view that belongs to the Edo period.
Description
In the foreground, figures in traditional dress handle a long roofed boat with a mast at the riverbank, apparently fitting it out or repairing it. Beyond them the river opens up, carrying several boats and crossed by a number of bridges. Buildings follow, along with a run of towers or chimneys that suggest industrial premises. A broad trail of smoke drifts from right to left over the water and up into a sky clouded in shifting tones. A cartouche of Chinese characters sits at the upper left.
Context
Kuniyoshi ranks among the major woodblock artists of the Edo period and was known for the wide range of his subjects. This print dates from the first half of the nineteenth century, when Japan was closing itself off politically while a thriving urban culture took shape. Scenes of labour and of industrial installations offer a glimpse of daily life and the economy of that era.
Impact
Blues and greys dominate the sheet, giving it a cool, quiet mood; warm browns and oranges in the smoke strike a counter-note. Crisp contours and the restless shaping of the clouds keep the image tense and alive.
Technique
The print was made with ink and colour on paper. Its sharp lines and flat, closed areas of colour follow the ukiyo-e method, in which a separate woodblock was used for each colour.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)