Preparatory drawing for the left sheet of the triptych Elegant Instrumental Trio of Girls 1844

Curator: This pen and ink sketch is Utagawa Kunisada’s preparatory drawing for the left sheet of his triptych “Elegant Instrumental Trio of Girls,” created in 1844. It’s part of the Minneapolis Institute of Art’s collection. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: There’s a raw simplicity to it that I find appealing. The lines are confident but sparse, focusing the eye immediately on the figure and the elegant design of her kimono. The composition, despite being unfinished, feels very balanced, thanks to the bamboo backdrop. Curator: The bamboo is fascinating because of its layered symbolism within the context of Japanese art, especially Ukiyo-e. It's more than just a decorative background. Editor: Exactly. Visually, it creates depth and texture, especially with the varying densities of ink. But more importantly, the verticality of the bamboo contrasts subtly with the figure's seated position, heightening our sense of her posture, her pose, her presence. The very delicate use of light and shadow almost give it a silvery effect, the thin black lines used to build complex forms. Curator: Kunisada’s choice to include it reflects bamboo’s cultural significance too. Bamboo represents resilience, flexibility, and prosperity. These characteristics likely resonated within the rapidly changing socio-political context of 19th-century Japan, offering viewers a familiar yet idealized vision. Editor: How do you see this preparatory sketch fitting into his larger body of work and the broader Ukiyo-e movement? Curator: Kunisada’s pieces often explored themes of idealized beauty. The completed triptych, I suspect, offered commentary on gender and societal expectations, filtered through a nostalgic lens, and that this type of sketch helped him to refine those themes. I suspect the final work showed an increased element of stylization too. Editor: Well, it's intriguing to see the work in this unfinished form. One can really appreciate the artistry in the line work. Curator: It provides us an insightful glimpse into the working process behind those elaborate prints and the role these images played in the cultural narrative of their time. Editor: Absolutely. A chance to consider an artist's thinking, as it were, a vital component of art history.