Untitled

Katsukawa Shun'ei 勝川春英

ca. 1790 · Woodblock print; ink and color on paper · Asian Art

Utamaro's fundamental curiosity about women was not limited to any one group or activity. In this print, he shows us women working in silk production, an important occupation for women and an important part of the Edo economy. Its composition reads more like a tableau vivant, with the workers merely suggesting their activities. The inscription in the cloud-band tells us about the procedures. The mood is sensual, and the selective use of color in Utamaro's refined version of labor is delicate and idealized. The workers' robes are in shades of violet, blue, green, yellow, and pale gray.

Artist

Katsukawa Shun'ei 勝川春英

Date

ca. 1790

Medium

Woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

The Howard Mansfield Collection, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1936