1795
ink
paper
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
吉原仲の町花魁道中|Courtesans Promenading on the Nakanochō in Yoshiwara is a 1795 ink by Utagawa Toyokuni I, a Romanticism work, held at Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This painting shows a lively street scene with a group of women in long robes and tall hats. They carry fans, baskets of flowers, and some hold lanterns. The background has buildings with signs and a bridge in the distance, all in soft colors and fine lines. Notice how the artist uses tiny, repeated lines to create shading and texture—this is called cross-hatching. It gives the clothes and faces a detailed, almost three-dimensional look. Check out how cross-hatching works in other art to see how it changes over time.
Toyokuni was a born showman who made sure the energy of Edo’s kabuki stage never faded on paper.
See the richer artist page
