Young Man Playing a Noh Drum
Original title: Young Man Playing a Noh Drum
kurzbeschreibung
A young man in traditional dress kneels and strikes a Noh drum in this woodblock print by Suzuki Harunobu. He performs indoors, in a room that opens onto the outside, and the sheet is printed in ink and colour on paper.
Description
Kneeling on the floor, the young man plays his Noh drum, his robe richly coloured and patterned. An open door reveals a plant beyond, a window sits beside it, and a picture of a monk hangs on the wall. Wooden floors and hanging curtains mark the room as part of a traditional Japanese house. The palette stays mostly muted, held together by accents of red and blue, while daylight from outside lays a warm tone across the scene.
Context
Harunobu ranks among the major Japanese woodblock artists of the eighteenth century and is known for shaping full-colour printing, or nishiki-e. During the Edo period, when this sheet was made, scenes and figures from everyday city life grew increasingly popular. No firm date has been established, which is true of many of Harunobu's works.
Impact
Quiet and contemplation come through in this image, helped by the warm light and the figure's relaxed posture. Clean lines and a balanced play of colour give the whole a harmonious, quietly pleasing presence.
Technique
For a woodblock print, the design is cut into wooden blocks and transferred to paper with ink. Ink and colour on paper allow the delicate lines and subtle gradations of tone that are typical of Edo-period Japanese printmaking.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)