鯉の滝登り|Red Carp Ascending a Waterfall
1824
ink
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
1824
ink
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
This print shows a big red carp leaping upward, its scales and fins drawn with bold lines. The fish’s mouth is open, and its tail splashes against a light blue background dotted with tiny white shapes. Black Japanese text wraps around the edges, and a red stamp sits in the lower left corner. The artist used fine black lines to add texture to the fish’s scales and fins, a technique that makes the colors pop. This kind of print was meant to be shared among friends, not sold widely. Next, look up cross-hatching to see how artists build depth with just lines.
