Wild Geese Flying Down the Sumida River
Original title: Wild Geese Flying Down the Sumida River
kurzbeschreibung
A seated woman with a fishing rod and a standing companion holding a fish basket appear in a boat on the Sumida River, captured by Suzuki Harunobu in a color woodblock print from around 1769. Mountains, trees, and another boat form the backdrop. Both women wear traditional Japanese clothing.
Description
In the foreground, a woman sits in the boat holding a fishing rod; beside her stands a second woman carrying a basket of fish. Both are dressed in traditional Japanese attire. The eye travels to mountains, trees, and another boat in the distance. Earth tones and blues dominate the palette. The layout is horizontal: the figures are staggered in the foreground, with the landscape behind them. Chinese characters on the sheet give the title and possibly a description of the scene.
Context
Harunobu is known as a leading artist of color woodblock printing in the Edo period and a pioneer of multicolor printing (nishiki-e). This print was made around 1769, during a phase when he produced numerous prints of elegant women. Leisure activities on the river were a popular motif in ukiyo-e and reflected the urban life of the time. The Sumida River was considered a well-known place for entertainment and was frequently depicted in the art of that era.
Impact
The view feels calm and idyllic; the harmonious coloring of earth tones and blue contributes to this. Finely worked details on the figures and in the landscape draw the viewer into the quiet river scene. The horizontal arrangement emphasizes the expanse of space and the relaxed mood.
Technique
Ink and colors on paper, printed from woodblocks—that is how this sheet was made. Harunobu used multicolor printing, in which several woodblocks are employed for different colors. Delicate lines and flat areas of color are characteristic of his prints.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)