Children making a snow ball by Nakajima Raishō

Children making a snow ball c. 1820 - 1859

print, ink, color-on-paper

aged paper

toned paper

water colours

print

japan

personal sketchbook

ink

color-on-paper

coffee painting

botanical drawing

watercolour bleed

watercolour illustration

botanical art

watercolor

This woodblock print by Nakajima Raishō, a prominent Japanese artist of the Edo period, depicts a playful scene of children making a snowball. Dated c. 1820-1859, the print captures a moment of winter leisure, as seen in the children's bundled clothing and the snowy landscape. The print's delicate lines and muted colors create a sense of tranquility, highlighting the simple joy of childhood in a traditional Japanese setting. The text surrounding the image is a poem or story, further enriching the narrative of the artwork.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

⋮

Children's delight in newly fallen snow is universal. Here three ambitious Japanese boys are creating a yukidaruma, "snow Bodhidharma." Bodhidharma was the Indian sage who traveled to China in the sixth century to spread his doctrine which stressed seated meditation as a means toward enlightenment. Since a large rounded snow mound resembles a seated monk with his robe covering his head and legs, such figures came to be called yukidaruma in Japan.