An Oiran Holding a Black Dog
Original title: An Oiran Holding a Black Dog
kurzbeschreibung
A colour woodblock print from around 1769 by Suzuki Harunobu: an oiran, a high-ranking courtesan, holds a black dog in her arms. Made with ink and colour on paper, the sheet belongs to the ukiyo-e genre.
Description
She stands upright in an elegant pose, her gaze turned down towards the animal. Her kimono carries a floral pattern, and an ornament crowns her elaborately styled hair. At the left, a small table holds a book and another object. Earth tones dominate the palette, with accents of blue and pink; the layout is asymmetrical.
Context
Harunobu is regarded as a pioneer of the colour woodblock print (nishiki-e) in the Edo period. Oiran were familiar figures of the Yoshiwara pleasure district in Edo, present-day Tokyo. At the time the work was made, images of courtesans and elegant women were hugely popular in ukiyo-e. The sheet's provenance has not been recorded.
Impact
The scene feels quiet and intimate, since the oiran looks not at the viewer but at the animal. Soft colours and precise lines give the sheet a delicate, almost fragile elegance. From the asymmetry of the arrangement grows a lively balance between figure and still life.
Technique
Clear draughtsmanship gives this print its character: the drawing is cut into the woodblock and then pulled onto paper in colour. Ink and watercolours allow fine gradations and patterns, such as the floral decoration of the kimono. The vertical format corresponds to the pillar print (hashira-e) common in ukiyo-e.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)