1795
ink
paper
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
Dominant colour
『祇園神輿洗 ねり物姿』「いろは歌の売」|“The Geisha To’e as a Vendor of Poems,” from the series Gion Festival Costume Parade (Gion mikoshi arai nerimono sugata) is a 1795 ink by Utagawa Toyokuni I, a Romanticism work, held at Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This print shows a woman in a bright, patterned kimono holding a fan and a scroll. Her outfit has bold colors—black, yellow, and orange—with flowers and leaves drawn on it. She’s also wearing a wide hat with a sign that has Japanese writing. In her hand, she holds a small fan and a long scroll, like she’s selling something. Look closer at the scroll: it’s labeled with Japanese characters that might be poetry. This print was made as part of a series about festival costumes. Next, check out the technique: cross-hatching to see how artists create shading with lines.
Toyokuni was a born showman who made sure the energy of Edo’s kabuki stage never faded on paper.
See the richer artist page
