Two Young People
Original title: Two Young People
kurzbeschreibung
Suzuki Harunobu (1725–1770) presents two women in Japanese dress lingering beneath a mighty tree in Zwei junge Menschen. Unlike many of his pure figure studies, here he binds the figures closely to the natural motif. The whole is executed as a woodblock print in ink and color on paper.
Description
The woman on the left lowers her gaze and holds a fan, while the one on the right turns toward her. Their robes display patterns in red, blue, and white, richly ornamented. A large tree with elaborated branches and leaves dominates the layout. While the clothing stands out in color, the surroundings remain subdued in tone; light falling from above emphasizes both figures and tree.
Context
Harunobu ranks among the formative woodblock artists of the Edo period and is considered a pioneer of multicolor printing (nishiki-e). This print belongs to the mid-eighteenth century, when the urban bourgeoisie increasingly emerged as an art public. His work often revolves around depictions of women and everyday scenes imbued with a poetic tone.
Impact
The calm posture of the two women and the natural setting give the image a sense of balance and quiet. Clear contours and graduated colors produce a delicate, almost fragile effect.
Technique
Ink and colors were used in the woodblock technique on paper for this print. The method allows sharp outlines and a clean separation of color areas, as is characteristic of Japanese prints of the Edo period.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)