Woman Admiring Plum Blossoms at Night
Original title: Woman Admiring Plum Blossoms at Night
kurzbeschreibung
On a bridge at night, a woman holds a lantern to look at the blossoms of a plum tree. Suzuki Harunobu created this multicoloured woodblock print (nishiki-e) with embossing (karazuri) around 1766, executed in ink and colour on paper.
Description
The woman wears a long robe patterned with circles over a red undergarment. She stands on a wooden bridge whose railing runs from left to right. Above, branches with white blossoms reach into the picture, lit by the lantern. The lantern itself sits in the middle and has a geometric shape. A dark background contrasts sharply with the pale blossoms and the orange glow of the lantern.
Context
This print dates from around 1766, an early phase of nishiki-e, in whose development Harunobu played a major part. Night-time blossom viewing was a popular motif in Edo culture, linking the transience of the flowers with aesthetic pleasure. The elegantly dressed woman matches the ideal of bijin-ga, the portrayal of beautiful women that was central to Harunobu's work. The embossing technique (karazuri) served to bring out textures such as blossoms or fabric patterns.
Impact
A quiet, intimate mood arises, emphasised by the contrast between darkness and artificial light. Delicate colouring and fine lines give the scene a poetic note that draws the viewer into the act of looking at night.
Technique
Several woodblocks were used for the different colours, as is usual in nishiki-e. In addition, embossing (karazuri) was employed to raise areas such as the blossoms or patterns in relief. Printing was done with ink and colours on paper in a format of 32.4 x 21 cm.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)