The Returning Sails of the Towel Rack
Original title: The Returning Sails of the Towel Rack
kurzbeschreibung
Suzuki Harunobu's colour woodblock print of around 1766 places two women in traditional Japanese dress inside a room. One sits on a bench holding a small box, while the other stands and pours liquid into a basin. Ink and colour on paper carry the image.
Description
Two women anchor the layout, set out almost like mirror images. On the left a figure sits on a bench, clasping a small box; on the right the second stands and empties a vessel into a bowl. A wooden door and a curtain appear toward the rear, with part of a lattice visible at the right. Earth tones govern the palette, broken by red and green accents. Light entering from the left lays warm daylight across the scene.
Context
Harunobu is regarded as a pioneer of multicolour woodblock printing, known as nishiki-e, in eighteenth-century Japan. This sheet dates from about 1766, a period in which he brought the technique to maturity and helped spread it. The title ties an everyday observation to a poetic allusion to sails. Harunobu devoted himself largely to bijin-ga, pictures of elegant women, often in domestic or familiar settings.
Impact
Warm light falling in from the left edge draws the eye first to the seated woman, then to the standing one and her task. The balanced arrangement and muted earth tones convey harmony and equilibrium, and an intimate, almost idyllic mood settles over the scene. Delicate contours and restrained colour accents give it the quiet, elegant aesthetic associated with Harunobu.
Technique
For the print, colours were applied to paper with water and pigments. Several woodblocks, one for each colour, allowed for a nuanced palette. Precise outlines and gentle colouring attest to considerable care in the making.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)