Scene from the No Play Yuya 1923

This print, *Scene from the No Play Yuya* was made by Tsukioka Kôgyo, probably using woodblocks. Just look at that woman in her rickshaw, frozen in time! I wonder what Kôgyo was thinking as he was carving those blocks. Did he ever feel like he was in that rickshaw himself? And the colors, they're so delicate and precise. I love the contrast between the intricate floral patterns of her kimono and the stark geometry of the rickshaw frame. The flat planes of color remind me a bit of the paintings of Édouard Vuillard, who was a contemporary of Kôgyo. Though of course, the Japanese tradition of woodblock printing is entirely its own thing. I imagine Kôgyo's studio filled with sketches and proofs. I like to think of him and Vuillard, each in their own way, pushing the boundaries of what painting could be. That’s the secret of art isn’t it, we all learn from each other.