Artwork
People Dancing
People Dancing is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1616 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
People Dancing is a painting created in 1616 at Japan, executed on a support that is not specified in the provided sources.
People Dancing is a painting created in 1616 at Japan, executed on a support that is not specified in the provided sources. The work is classified as a painting and is part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Formal and stylistic qualities are described only insofar as the work is recognized as a painting from 1616, with no further details on technique, materials, or condition provided.
History & Provenance
The painting People Dancing is dated to 1616, which is the canonical date provided in the work’s record.
The work is associated with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is listed as part of the collection. The painting is identified as being made in Japan, reflecting its cultural and geographical origin.
Overview
The work titled “People Dancing” depicts a densely populated urban street. Figures fill the canvas from left to right: a small group converses beside a modest building, a central circle of dancers dominates the scene, and two men linger outside a shop while spectators observe from an elevated balcony. The composition conveys a bustling, communal atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
At the heart of the painting, a circle of dancers draws attention, suggesting celebration or ritual amid everyday life. Surrounding activities, conversation, commerce, and passive observation, frame the dance, hinting at the interwoven nature of public and private moments within a shared urban space.
Context
The painting reflects a tradition of genre scenes that document everyday social interaction in public venues. By concentrating numerous characters within a single viewpoint, it aligns with 19th‑century interests in urban life and the dynamics of communal gatherings.
Artist & collection
- Spring Dance Scene
Women’s Kabuki
Genre Scenes (Fuzoku byobu)
The Banquet of Seowangmo (Xiwangmu), Queen Mother of the West
Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals
Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals
Arrival of the "Southern Barbarians"
幻の源氏物語絵巻 「葵」|“Leaves of Wild Ginger” (Aoi), from the Phantom Genji Scrolls (Maboroshi no Genji monogatari emaki)
Arrival of the Europeans
Scenes from the Nakamura Kabuki Theater
Horse Racing at Kamo Shrine
The Banquet of Guo Ziyi