Young Woman and Girl at Gate
19th century
Medium
Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
5 9/16 x 7 1/2 in. (14.1 x 19.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
Accession Number
JP2084
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the tranquil scene of *Young Woman and Girl at Gate Ryūryūkyo Shinsai captures a moment of quiet elegance from Japan's Edo period (1615–1868). This intimate woodblock print, or *surimono*, dates to the 19th century and measures just 5 9/16 x 7 1/2 inches—perfectly sized for personal appreciation. Shinsai, a master the ukiyo-e, specialized in these luxurious, privately commissioned prints, often created for New Year's greetings or poetry circles among the literati elite. The composition features a young woman and girl poised at a gate, framed by lush trees, evoking the beauty of everyday li...
About the Artist
Ryūryūkyo Shinsai · 1799–1823
Ryūryūkyo Shinsai (柳々居辰斎), active from 1799 to 1823, was a prominent Japanese ukiyo-e printmaker based in Edo (modern Tokyo), renowned for his mastery of surimono—luxurious, privately commissioned woodblock prints produced for elite poetry circles and New Year's celebrations. He began his training under Tawaraya Sōri before becoming a student of the legendary Katsushika Hokusai, from whom he recei...