The Man Outside
Original title: The Man Outside
kurzbeschreibung
Suzuki Harunobu made 'Der Mann draußen' around 1770: a colour woodblock print on paper, upright in format at 27 5/8 by 4 3/4 inches. A woman inside a room turns her gaze toward a mirror.
Description
A richly decorated obi and a traditional hairstyle with hair ornaments define the woman's appearance. She leans slightly forward, looking at a mirror fixed to the wall. The mirror reflects a second figure wearing a helmet. Beneath it stands a black box painted with flowers, and beside that a cup wrapped in straw. Reds, browns and beiges dominate the sheet, with accents set in blue and green.
Context
Harunobu is regarded as a pioneer of multicolour woodblock printing, nishiki-e, in the Edo period. This print was made around 1770, when the urban bourgeoisie, the chōnin, became the main audience for ukiyo-e prints. The pairing of woman, mirror and male figure suggests a theme from everyday life or contemporary literature.
Impact
The layout feels balanced: the woman stands in front, her reflection emerging behind her. Light falling from the front separates figures and objects clearly. Crisp contours and flat, closed areas of colour give the view a quiet, familiar mood.
Technique
Ink and colour were transferred here by relief printing from woodblocks onto paper. Each colour required its own block, as the nishiki-e process demands. Precisely matched tones and exactly controlled lines characterise Harunobu's working method.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)