Untitled

Utagawa Toyokuni I

ca. 1791 · Triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper · Asian Art

In the late eighteenth century, ukiyo-e printmakers began to create works consisting of three attached ōban ("large format") sheets of paper. Toyokuni took advantage of this layout to place figures in panoramic landscapes. In this triptych, he arranged a group of three figures in the foreground of each sheet and used Western perspective (uki-e) to draw our eyes to the seascape in the distance. At the center, beauties in stunning garments stand in graceful poses like actors on stage, flanking a handsome young man.

Artist

Utagawa Toyokuni I

Date

ca. 1791

Medium

Triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1914