Beauty in Summer Breeze 1752 - 1799

Editor: This is "Beauty in Summer Breeze," a print drawing with ink on paper from the late 18th century by Torii Kiyonaga, currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The gentle earth tones give a serene mood. What do you see in terms of visual structure? Curator: What strikes me is the masterful use of line to define form and movement. Observe how the delicate, almost ephemeral lines of the tree contrast with the bolder, more deliberate strokes that delineate the figure of the woman. It is through this juxtaposition of line qualities that Kiyonaga creates a sense of depth and dynamism. Editor: Yes, and the asymmetry is so carefully balanced. The figure is off-center, but the branches reach out to fill the space. Curator: Precisely. The artist’s control of composition extends to color as well. Note how the subtle variations in tone of the background create a unified field. But the colors of her kimono provide accent within that unified tone. The curve of the neck or hand seems so deliberate in the design. Editor: It’s interesting how limiting the colors accentuates the details. Did he create other prints like this? Curator: Kiyonaga was a leading printmaker of his time. Similar themes and motifs, most particularly the celebration of female beauty within the Ukiyo-e tradition, are used by the artist in the overall formal organization in Kiyonaga's larger body of work. This lends greater appreciation to its internal harmonies, achieved by the careful balance and structuring of the different lines, shapes, and tonal variations of the image. Editor: I see, it is the structure of visual design in both the local design and global structure in other works. I understand how each of his pieces become expressions of their own intrinsic structures. Curator: Indeed. And considering his career can offer you the formal structure for appreciating the whole.