Ukiyo-e

"Lady and Her Attendant Reading, Blossoming Tree"
by: Utagawa Kuniyoshi

First of all, this print is in pretty bad shape. The entire print is has become discolored with a heavy brown tint and appears to have stains in several places. It has severely crumpled and torn edges. The condition it is in now suggests it was handled extensively; probably bought for someone’s collection. The lines in the print vary in thickness but they remain relatively sharp. You can tell by how sharp the lines get by looking at the hairlines of the ladies in the photo. The colors have faded a great deal but Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s skill is still evident in this print. The patterns on the clothes of the women are incredible, especially in comparison to the women’s unimaginative faces. It is hard to tell in the image but in the background you can make out what looks to be a gust of wind. This effect looks to be an element of texture rather than paint or ink.

This print is fairly hard to analyze without knowing the narrative. The blooming cherry blossoms in the background add a lot of appeal to the print. They also suggest warmer weather. It is a simple image. At first glance it appears to be just a woman, possibly a servant reading to another woman. These two women, besides their dress, are completely identical. I believed that the image showed a focus on these two women. The women and their attire remind me of “The Tale of Genji” and the extravagant court life found within its pages. However, the standing woman’s outstretched arm was quite peculiar. Without knowing the narrative I focused a lot on the posture of the two women and what it could suggest. The standing women appeared, to me, as a religious figure. Her open hand hovering above the head of the woman kneeling before her suggests that she is possibly blessing the other. This interpretation I have of the image is shattered by the posture of the other woman. She is not even on one knee. She is still on her feet with her knees bent. Even though I am not able to interpret this image further without knowing the narrative, I am still sensing something from the woman’s outstretched arm and open hand. It looks as if she is reaching for something… or someone?

This print is actually an illustration of a poem by Fujiwara no Michimasu. His poem is titled "Now that my love must die" and is number 63 in the Hyakunin Isshu (a collection of a 100 Japanese poems).

“Now that my love must die” by: Fujiwaru no Michimasu

Now that

My love must die

I just wish

I could tell you

Without a messenger

It turns out that the poet was seeing a princess in secret. The Princess was in charge of a shrine. Because of her relation with the shrine, she was supposed to be celibate. This obviously angered the Emperor a great deal when he found out and as punishment she was put under the surveillance of female guardians and was no longer able to see the poet. The poet wrote to the princess stating that he accepts the Emperor’s decision but he wishes he could express his feelings in person.

The narrative really puts the print into perspective. It explains the outstretched hand that I was trying to analyze. It also makes me believe that the focus of the print is not the women (and their blank faces) but rather the hand. She is reaching towards the words of her lover or more frankly her lover, this time in the medium of one of her female guardians. It is pretty peculiar how Utagawa Kuniyoshi is able to present these emotions through the gesture of a single hand.