Woman Seated beside a Lamp
Original title: Print
kurzbeschreibung
Suzuki Harunobu's colour woodblock print 'Woman with Lamp' from around 1762 shows a woman in Japanese dress seated on a bench, holding a lamp in her hand. Executed in ink and colour on paper, the sheet measures 27.3 x 20 cm.
Description
A kimono with a red-and-white floral pattern defines the seated figure's appearance; her hair is styled up and ornamented. The woman has taken a place on a low bench, the lamp in her hand. A wooden door, a wall lamp and a window with blinds close off the space, while flowers and leaves lie scattered on the floor. Chinese characters catch the eye in the lower-right corner.
Context
Harunobu is regarded as a pioneer of multicolour woodblock printing (nishiki-e) during the Edo period. Around 1762, the year this sheet was made, he began developing elaborate multicolour prints that fundamentally changed printmaking. Women indoors are among the common motifs of ukiyo-e art of that era.
Impact
A pastel palette and the light falling from the side create a calm, intimate mood. Clear lines and a well-ordered layout give the sheet an elegant, almost poetic presence.
Technique
The woodblock print in ink and colour on paper relies on a process in which a separate block is cut for each colour and then printed onto the paper; in this way colours can be reproduced precisely.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)