Women in a Tea House
1784
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
About the artist
1784
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Women in a Tea House is a 1784 by Kubo Shunman, a Romanticism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This print shows two women in a cozy tea house, one pouring tea while the other watches. Soft grays, greens, and purples fill the scene. They wear simple robes with delicate patterns. Shunman often painted these quiet moments for city folks. The mood feels calm but not stiff. Printmakers in his time used woodblocks to share art fast. Look up Kubo Shunman (Japanese, 1757–1820) to see more.
This elegant print provides a glimpse into the private life of the courtesan, recording a quiet moment of enjoying tea. Shunman often depicted bijin (beautiful women) in a landscape setting, using subdued color harmonies featuring grays, pale green, and pale purple. In addition to being a printmaker, Shunman was also an accomplished painter, poet, and skilled worker in metal inlay and lacquer.
Read the full account in the museum source.
