Poem by Fujiwara no Motozane (ca. 860) from the Series Thirty-Six Poets
Original title: Poem by Fujiwara no Motozane (ca. 860) from the Series Thirty-Six Poets
kurzbeschreibung
A kneeling woman gently stroking a seated child anchors this color woodblock print by Suzuki Harunobu. The sheet belongs to the series 'Thirty-six Poets' and was made around 1768. It was printed in ink and color on paper, with the addition of blind embossing (karazuri).
Description
In the foreground a woman in Japanese dress kneels, her striped obi drawing the eye; her hand rests on the child, who sits on the ground with lowered gaze. Behind the figures a window opens onto a floral arrangement, while a small bird crouches at lower left and a washbasin with cloth stands at right. Two rods support a curtain or canopy that stretches across the arrangement. Grays and beiges dominate the sheet, with accents in the clothing and background elements.
Context
The series 'Thirty-six Poets' draws on a traditional anthology of Japanese poets and their verses. Harunobu, a pioneer of multicolor woodblock printing (nishiki-e), created this sequence in the 1760s. The poem by the court official and poet Fujiwara no Motozane from the 9th century appears here as an everyday occurrence, characteristic of Harunobu's approach.
Impact
The layout conveys calm, and the muted gray and beige tones contribute to it. A warmth radiates from the closeness between woman and child; curtain and window frame this relationship with decorative means and reinforce it.
Technique
Ink and color were printed on paper for this sheet. Blind embossing (karazuri) creates relief textures that bring out, for example, patterns in the clothing or parts of the background. This technique was common for Harunobu's delicate prints.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)