Staande vrouw in kimono 1688 - 1751

This print, "Standing Woman in Kimono," was created by Nishikawa Sukenobu using woodblock printing techniques. Notice how Sukenobu employs a restricted palette of muted whites, browns and blues against a warm beige ground. This encourages us to focus on the composition's clean, flowing lines and the subtle gradations of tone, rather than being distracted by bright colors. The woman's figure is rendered with elegant simplicity. Her kimono drapes around her, creating a series of sinuous curves that echo the circular fan she holds. Sukenobu destabilizes traditional portraiture. He encourages a reading of the human form as a set of formal relations, lines, shapes, and textures that invite the viewer to contemplate the interplay between representation and abstraction. The artist's skillful use of line is a key structural element, particularly in how it defines the subject's form and conveys her poised elegance, demonstrating how the formal elements of art can create meaning beyond mere representation.