Artwork
Beauty on a Veranda in Snow
Beauty on a Veranda in Snow is an unspecified painting by the Ukiyo-e artist Sakai Hōitsu. It dates from 1798 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1798 by the Edo‑period painter Sakai Hōitsu, “Beauty on a Veranda in Snow” is an ink and pigment work on paper now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The composition presents a solitary figure on a raised platform, set against a luminous gold field that hints at falling snow.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is a woman in a white kimono trimmed with red sleeves and a delicate floral motif. She gazes downward, her hair gathered in an updo and secured with a pink ribbon, suggesting a moment of quiet contemplation amid a wintry scene.
Technique & Style
Hōitsu renders the kimono’s fabric with a subtle sheen, using soft, flowing lines to suggest the gentle drape of the material. The gold background, speckled with white flecks, creates a shimmering atmosphere that evokes snowfall without detailed landscape, emphasizing the figure’s refined presence.
History & Provenance
The painting was produced toward the end of Hōitsu’s career, a period when he revived the Rinpa aesthetic through elegant compositions and decorative surfaces. After changing hands among private collectors, it entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s holdings, where it remains on view as part of the museum’s Japanese art collection.
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