Artwork
Young Man and Women on Tokiwa Bridge
Young Man and Women on Tokiwa Bridge is a print by the Romanticist artist Katsukawa Shunchō. It dates from 1794 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1794, this woodblock print by Katsukawa Shunchō depicts a bustling scene on Tokiwa Bridge. Five figures—two men and three women—traverse the span, their garments vivid with patterned kimonos and flowing robes. The composition captures a moment of everyday activity, rendered with a lively sense of motion as the characters overlap and interact.
Subject & Meaning
The work illustrates a casual crossing of a bridge, a common motif in Edo‑period genre prints that reflects urban leisure. The men's tall hats and the women's brightly colored kimonos signal contemporary fashion, while the green branch and leaning posture suggest informal conversation among acquaintances, offering a glimpse into social interaction of the time.
Technique & Style
Shunchō employs traditional ukiyo‑e woodblock methods, using bold yet softened hues—particularly reds and greens—to delineate clothing and accessories. Overlapping figures create depth, while the background features a tiled roof and a fence with geometric lattice, rendered in fine line work that balances detail with the flat decorative planes typical of late‑18th‑century prints.
History & Provenance
The print is part of the collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it has been displayed as an example of late Edo period genre imagery. Its attribution to Katsukawa Shunchō, a noted practitioner of the Katsukawa school, aligns with the artist’s focus on theatrical and everyday subjects during the 1790s.
Context
During the 1790s, bridge scenes were popular subjects for ukiyo‑e artists, reflecting the growing public spaces of Edo’s expanding cityscape. Shunchō’s depiction of Tokiwa Bridge situates the work within this trend, emphasizing the vibrancy of urban life and the fashion sensibilities of its inhabitants.
Artist & collection
Artist
Katsukawa Shunchō lived in Edo (now Tokyo) during the late 1700s, a time when floating-world prints—colorful scenes of theater, courtesans, and everyday life—were all the rage.
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