Print 1800 - 1865

This print, now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was created by Utagawa Kunisada. The figure's imposing presence comes from the careful arrangement of shapes and textures. The artist uses bold lines to define the figure, contrasting the intricate patterns of the kimono with the solid blocks of black and the pale ground. This creates a striking visual tension. Kunisada uses a semiotic system here, drawing from the cultural codes of his time to communicate ideas about status, identity and the theatrical world. In the context of Japanese woodblock printing, this emphasis on line and decorative pattern challenges traditional notions of depth and perspective. The flat, graphic style invites us to consider the surface of the print, and the constructed nature of representation. Consider how Kunisada's artistic choices reflect a move toward a more self-aware, stylized mode of expression. It's not just about depicting the world, but about exploring the possibilities of the medium itself.