Two Young Women Seated by a Kotatsu Playing Cat's Cradle
Original title: Two Young Women Seated by a Kotatsu Playing Cat's Cradle
kurzbeschreibung
Suzuki Harunobu made this colour woodblock print on paper around 1765, portraying two young women in kimono playing cat's cradle at a kotatsu. The sheet belongs to the ukiyo-e genre and comes from a phase in which the artist was expanding multi-figure interior scenes.
Description
Two women sit on the floor, their kimono differing in colour and pattern. Elaborately dressed hair is set off by ornaments. A wall at the rear carries a picture of a horse's head, and beside it stands a small table with a plant. Muted tones, precisely drawn lines and a traditional Japanese approach to the figures shape the sheet.
Context
Harunobu ranks among the major ukiyo-e artists and is regarded as a pioneer of the multicolour print, nishiki-e. In the Edo period cat's cradle was a favourite pastime of young women. At that time printmakers increasingly developed complex layouts with several figures and interior settings. Everyday female activity recurs often in Harunobu's work.
Impact
The sheet feels quiet and intimate; the viewer looks in on a private moment. Muted colours and precise lines produce an elegant, almost poetic mood. The arrangement is well balanced and draws the eye to the interplay of the two figures.
Technique
Ink and colours were printed onto paper for this sheet. Harunobu used multicolour printing, which allowed fine gradations of tone. Precise lines and soft colour transitions mark his prints.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)