Ryōgoku no seiran (Clear Breeze by the Ryōgoku Bridge), Toyohara Kunichika

Exhibition Label: “Flowers, Dragons and Pine Trees: Asian Textiles in the Spencer Museum of Art,” Nov-2005, Mary Dusenbury This scene of a summer evening on the river depicts courtesans and their patrons dressed in fashionable katazome (stencil and paste-resist dyed), shibori (tie-dyed) and woven checks. Exhibition Label: Installation related to "Tokyo: The Imperial Capital Woodblock prints by Koizumi Kishio, 1928-1940," Feb-2005, Hillary Pedersen Kunichika produced numerous prints of actors, historical prints, and sets of views of popular or scenic spots. Here he has illustrated one of the three famous bridges that crosses the Sumida River in Edo. The Ryōgoku Bridge area was a vibrant entertainment spot where boat cruises along the river were popular pastime, shown by the group of women shown here, who are boarding a vessel to take them downstream. The courtesan in the morning glory-patterned kimono is departing from her patron, who is dressed in a light cotton yukata typically worn in the summer. Willow trees, seen faintly at the top of the composition, were a symbol often associated with the pleasure districts of Edo. Archive Label date unknown: Kunichika initially studied under Toyohara Chikanobu (1838-1912), and then became a student of the prolific Edo printmaker Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1864). As did Kunisada, Kunichika produced numerous prints of actors, sets of views of popular or scenic spots, historical prints, and illustrations for journals. Although not as widely known as his contemporary, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892), Kunichika nevertheless represents one of the last major artists of the great Japanese ukiyo-e tradition.