Girl Filling a Bucket with Sea Water
ca. 1830
Medium
Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
8 3/8 x 7 3/8 in. (21.3 x 18.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1919
Accession Number
JP1149
Tags
Art Historical Context
Created around 1830 during Japan’s Edo period, this charming woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi captures a quiet moment of everyday life. Kuniyoshi, celebrated for his dynamic ukiyo-e designs ranging from heroic warriors to lyrical genre scenes, here turns his attention to a young girl collecting seawater. The subject reflects the period’s growing interest in ordinary people and seasonal activities, themes that resonated with urban audiences seeking both beauty and familiarity in art. The work is a surimono, a privately commissioned print often exchanged among poetry circles. These deluxe e...
About the Artist
Utagawa Kuniyoshi · 1797–1861
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861) was born in Edo to the silk-dyer Yanagiya Kichiyemon, originally bearing the childhood name Yoshisaburō. From a young age, he assisted in his family's pattern design work, which sharpened his innate mastery of color and textile motifs that would permeate his later prints. At around twelve years old, his prodigious drawing skills drew the attention of the renowned Utag...