Parody of the Noh Play "Hakurakuten"
Original title: Parody of the Noh Play "Hakurakuten"
kurzbeschreibung
Suzuki Harunobu's colour woodblock print of about 1766 parodies the Nō play 'Hakurakuten'. Ink and colour on paper, the sheet measures 27.9 by 26.7 centimetres. Two figures in boats on the water reimagine the source in a playful, humorous way.
Description
Two small boats drift on the water, each carrying a person in traditional Japanese dress. The figure on the left wears a dark robe with yellow accents and holds a bouquet of flowers. On the right, someone in a pink-and-white garment holds up a mirror image in which another person can be made out. Wavy lines fill the ground and suggest the water. Chinese characters along the top edge probably give the title or a description of the play.
Context
Harunobu ranked among the leading masters of colour woodblock printing in the mid-eighteenth century. This work was made in the Edo period, when parodies of classical plays were popular in ukiyo-e art. The play 'Hakurakuten' goes back to a Chinese legend and belonged to the Nō repertoire. In his pictorial parody Harunobu combined the fashion and everyday culture of his own day with the traditional story.
Impact
Calm, flat wave lines and the symmetrical placing of the two boats carry the eye evenly across the sheet. Muted greys, pinks and yellows give the image a restrained, elegant mood. The humorous handling of a serious Nō play sets up an appealing contrast between tradition and lightness.
Technique
Harunobu made the sheet as a woodblock print in ink and colour on paper, in the medium-sized chū-ban format. Several blocks carried the colours, which called for precise registration. Finely worked lines and flat areas of tone show his assured command of the medium.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)