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Winter

Kikugawa Eizan

Artwork Details

Winter
early 19th century
Kikugawa Eizan
color woodblock print on paper
14 3/4 x 9 3/4 in. (37.47 x 24.77 cm);22 1/8 x 18 1/16 in. (56.2 x 45.88 cm)
Bequest of Margaret Watson Parker
1948/1.194

Tags

Description

Subject Matter:

Kikugawa Eizan was an artist in the ukiyo-e style. He also adopted the preference to portray bijin, or beautiful women in his work as was popular with many artists, especially his teacher Utamaro. Eizan's earlier work closely resembled the work of his teacher and only after his death does a difference develop involving bolder lines and harsher colors. Eizan's work also focused less on ethereal beauty and incorporated more of an earthly and down-to-earth feel to his women and subjects. 
Seasonal prints such as this are very popular in Japanese art. 

Physical Description:

This color print depicts three individuals. The most prominent is the woman on the right. She wears a dark-colored kimono, holds an umbrella, and carries a child on her back. The child wears a hood and reaches toward a small man walking in the snow. The man looks up to the child and leans on what appears to be a large snowball. In the background, snow is falling and there is a snowy bare tree. On the upper left contained in a circle the character for winter, as the print is titled. Further to the left is a vertical inscription, though obscured by some damage to the print itself. 

Usage Rights:

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