The Eighth Month (Hachigatsu), from the series "Popular Customs of the Twelve Months (Fuzoku juni ko)" c. 1780 - 1801

Katsukawa Shunchō's "The Eighth Month" is a woodblock print, part of the series "Popular Customs of the Twelve Months," offering a glimpse into late 18th-century Japanese life. Here, three women are depicted enjoying a tranquil boat ride. One reclines languidly, while the others are in conversation. The print reflects the Edo period's cultural emphasis on leisure and the floating world of entertainment, yet it also presents a carefully constructed image of women. Their refined clothing and leisurely activity hint at a certain social class, while their representation adheres to the era's aesthetic ideals, which favored demure beauty. In a society governed by strict social norms, such depictions of women offered a carefully mediated vision of femininity. Shunchō's work, therefore, exists at the intersection of artistic expression, social identity, and the complex realities of gender in historical Japan. The print invites us to contemplate the emotional and cultural nuances embedded within these seemingly simple scenes of everyday life.