The Marriage Ceremony
Original title: The Marriage Ceremony
kurzbeschreibung
Suzuki Harunobu made this print around 1768 under the title The Wedding Ceremony. It is a colour woodblock print in ink and colour on paper and presents a Japanese marriage rite unfolding indoors, with several figures taking part in the proceedings.
Description
A woman in a red robe anchors the image; beside her stand two women who accompany her through the ceremony. Another observer has settled on the floor, while more people behind her join in the event. Tatami mats and a sliding-door window give the room its traditional shape. Red, white and grey set the tonal key, loosened by individual accents; light falling from above picks out fabrics and faces. Crisp contours and precisely placed gestures define the style.
Context
Harunobu ranks among the foremost woodblock artists of the Edo period and is known for his delicate colour prints. When the multicolour woodblock print, nishiki-e, emerged in Japan, he often took up scenes from everyday urban life. The wedding as a subject points to the customs and social life of the Japanese bourgeoisie in the eighteenth century.
Impact
Calm and dignity emanate from the print; the balanced colouring and the ordered sequence of figures contribute to this. Cleanly drawn lines and carefully worked details give the view an elegance suited to the occasion.
Technique
The image was printed from a woodblock inked and coloured on paper, which allowed for fine lines and soft colour transitions characteristic of Harunobu. Several plates were used for the different colours, as was standard in Edo-period colour woodblock printing.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)