1839
ink
paper
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
百人一首 うばがゑとき 伊勢|Poem by Ise, from the series One Hundred Poems Explained by the Nurse (Hyakunin isshu uba ga etoki) is a 1839 ink by Katsushika Hokusai, a Japonisme work, depicting Working, held at Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This print shows a busy scene with a group of people on a rooftop. Some are sitting under a wooden shelter, while others are working on the steep, tiled roof. In the background, fields stretch out with tiny figures walking along paths and near a body of water. Bright pink flowers cluster in the lower left corner, and the sky has soft, warm colors. The rooftop workers seem focused on repairs, while the people below rest or chat. The print mixes detailed figures with wide-open landscapes, creating a sense of everyday life. Look up cross-hatching next to see how artists build texture with lines.
Katsushika Hokusai spent his life in Edo, now Tokyo, where he drew and carved prints for a living.
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