Enjoying the Evening Cool Along the Sumida River

1798

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

Enjoying the Evening Cool Along the Sumida River is a 1798 by Kitagawa Utamaro, a Romanticism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Kitagawa Utamaro
When & what style?: 1798 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

This painting shows a crowded scene on the Sumida River. People stand on Ryōgoku Bridge. Party boats float below with fireworks lighting the sky. A boy holds a cricket cage and a woman’s hand. Another boy carries a lantern that reads "Ōnoshi." The boy with the lantern works for a restaurant. His job is to guide guests. The kids add a quiet human touch. Next time you're near Cleveland, see it at The Cleveland Museum of Art.

The story of this work

Overview

People crowding the Ryōgoku Bridge over the Sumida River and those aboard party boats below enjoy summer fireworks. Among a group gathered on the riverbank a little boy stands holding his caged pet cricket in one hand, and a young woman’s hand in the other. At left, a boy with a lantern advertising the name of the restaurant for which he works, “Ōnoshi,” guides two women away.

Read the full account in the museum source.