Illustration of Noh Dance Scene 1900 - 1920

Okumura Masanobu created this illustration of a Noh dance scene, sometime in the early to mid 1700's, using woodblock print techniques. I love how Masanobu creates a sense of depth and movement here with such a restrained palette. Look at the central figure, how the red of his robe is rendered, so flat and graphic. This contrasts with the careful detail of the patterned kimono, and his crazy black hair, which gives him such presence and drama. The other dancer is in more muted tones, and crouches low, in deference to the figure. This crouching position also shows an understanding of space, the way the body occupies it, and this gives the whole image a three-dimensional quality. There’s a really beautiful conversation here between flatness and depth, and between the dynamic and the static, something that later artists like Matisse would really explore. This work is so cool, it makes me want to grab my brushes and just start making marks!