Komurasaki of the Miuraya and Shirai Gonpachi

1906

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

Komurasaki of the Miuraya and Shirai Gonpachi is a 1906 by Unknown, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1906 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

This print shows two women wearing kimonos. One has a striped black-and-white robe and a fan. The other wears a darker robe with a fancy hairdo. Both look serious, almost sad. The background is plain, with just a hint of a building. The women’s faces are drawn in bold black lines, but their skin is soft and light. This mix of sharp edges and gentle shading is a trick artists use. Look up *chiaroscuro* next—it’s the name for this lighting effect.

The story of this work

Did you know?

This unsigned work shows two actors portraying the "based on real events" story of ill-fated lovers. It may have been inspired by the work of print designer Kitagawa Utamaro on the same theme.

Read the full account in the museum source.