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Beauties at the Seashore

Ippitsusai Bunchō

1776

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Romanticism Ukiyo-e 18th Century Genre Scene

Dominant colour

Beauties at the Seashore is a 1776 unspecified by Ippitsusai Bunchō, a Romanticism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Ippitsusai Bunchō
When & what style?: 1776 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a group of women relaxing by the water, enjoying the evening air. They're seated on the ground, and one of them is smoking a pipe. The scene is peaceful, with willow trees and fireworks in the background. The women are dressed in traditional Japanese clothing, which gives a hint about the time period. The fact that the ladies are smoking pipes is interesting, as it was a common activity for women during the Edo period. To learn more about similar scenes, check out the work of artist Ippitsusai Bunchō.

The story of this work

Overview

Bunchō portrays the popular subject of cooling off by the water on a late spring or early summer evening, as suggested by the willow. The seated lady enjoys her pipe-smoking—a popular pastime for Edo women. In the background, some fireworks are set off from a small boat.

Read the full account in the museum source.