1789
ink
paper
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
御影堂扇屋図|The Mieidō Fan Shop is a 1789 ink by Utagawa Toyokuni I, a Romanticism work, depicting Architecture, held at Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This painting shows a busy shop scene with people in traditional Japanese clothing. A man in the center kneels on the floor, arranging fans and papers. Around him, others stand or sit, some holding fans or boxes, while a woman in a dark robe holds a fan near the top left. The walls have shelves with more fans and signs with Japanese writing. The floor is scattered with small items like trays and tools. Notice how the artist uses bold outlines and flat colors to keep the scene clear and lively. The fans and signs suggest this is a shop selling them, likely a common sight in cities at the time. Look up Utagawa Toyokuni I to see how his style shaped Japanese art.
Toyokuni was a born showman who made sure the energy of Edo’s kabuki stage never faded on paper.
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