1744
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
A Beauty with a Mirror is a 1744 by Okumura Masanobu, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This print shows a woman in a long, flowing robe with bold black lines and soft gray shading. Her dress has patterns of flowers and clouds, and she holds a small mirror in one hand. The background is plain, keeping all focus on her pose and the details of her clothes. Her hair is styled high with a comb, and she’s looking down at the mirror with a calm expression. The artist used simple shapes and strong contrasts to create depth. Check out chiaroscuro to see how light and shadow work in prints like this.
Okumura Masanobu lived in Edo (now Tokyo) when the city was a flashy, fast-growing hub of theater, gossip, and new ideas.
See the richer artist page
