Katsukawa Shunchō (勝川春潮) (artist 1783 – 1821)
Two bijin visiting Shinobazu Pond at Ueno with a view of the Benten Shrine in the background
ca 1787
4.875 in x 26.75 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese woodblock print
Signed: Shunchō ga (春湖画)
Artist's seal: Nakabayashi
Publisher: Chichibuya Shōzaemon
(Marks 027 - seal 01-006)
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Google maps - Shinobazu Pond, Tokyo
Honolulu Museum of Art Shinobazu Pond
"...Shinobazu Pond in Ueno, is an area that was famous in Edo for its scenic beauty and that in the eighteenth century also happened to be a center of scholarly and literary publishing and print culture. The neighborhood was also known for its many established pharmacies and shops selling trend-setting handicraft items and for numerous "meet up" teahouses where clients could connect with prostitutes. [The two women in this print appear to be married by the way they are wearing their obi.] It was thus an area in which the cultured and the bawdy mingled..."
Quoted from: The Akita Ranga School and The Cultural Context in Edo Japan by Imahashi Riko, pp. 23-24.
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Judging by the women's robes the season is probably summer. There are faint traces of 'splotches' seen on the surface of the pond. (These are still green in the example in Boston.) These represent the lily pads which bloomed there.
It is difficult to tell, but the pond which formed a backdrop for these beauties was probably a delicate blue. However, the blues made for prints at this time were so fugitive that they often were completely faded within a few days exposure to the light and air.
The woman on the left is carrying a fan which is decorated with irises and a prominent mimasu, the crest of the actor Ichikawa Danjūrō V - or maybe VI, depending on when this print was published.
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Some sources identify the artist's seal on this page as being Chūrin, but others whom we agree with say it should be read as Nakabayashi.
pillar print (hashira-e - 柱絵) (genre)
beautiful woman picture (bijin-ga - 美人画) (genre)
Chichibuya Shōzaemon (秩父屋庄左衛門) (publisher)