1825
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Uzume no Mikoto from The Cave Door of Spring is a 1825 by Totoya Hokkei, a Romanticism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This painting shows a scene from Japanese mythology. It depicts Uzume no Mikoto, a goddess, dancing to lure out the sun goddess. The story behind this image is interesting - the sun goddess had hidden in a cave, and Uzume's dance was one of the attempts to get her to come out. You can learn more about similar artwork by visiting the museum where this piece is held, The Cleveland Museum of Art.
These elegant surimono prints come from a set of five images inspired by the legend of the Shinto Supreme Sun Goddess, Amaterasu. She was once so offended by her brother that she retreated into a cave, leaving the earth in darkness. Several attempts to lure her out with cocks crowing, music-making, and a goddess dancing failed, but a mirror hung from a nearby tree made Amaterasu curious, bringing her to the entrance of the cave. A stone was quickly placed at the entrance to block her way back into the cave, and light was restored to the world. Each print is set against a blue evening sky with…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Totoya Hokkei (魚屋 北渓; 1780–1850) was a Japanese artist best known for his prints in the ukiyo-e style.
See the richer artist page
