Who painted Second Print from A Low Tide Pentaptych?

Second Print from A Low Tide Pentaptych was painted by Utagawa Kuniyoshi in 1830.

Where can I see Second Print from A Low Tide Pentaptych?

Second Print from A Low Tide Pentaptych is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Second Print from A Low Tide Pentaptych?

Second Print from A Low Tide Pentaptych is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Second Print from A Low Tide Pentaptych

Utagawa Kuniyoshi , 1830

Second Print from A Low Tide Pentaptych is a print by the Romanticist artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi. It dates from 1830 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Second Print from A Low Tide Pentaptych is a surimono print, one of five commissioned prints depicting people gathering marine life during low tide.

Subject & Meaning

The print shows a lively beach scene with numerous figures collecting sea creatures. Ten poems by a poetry circle, led by Hisakataya Misora, are distributed across the top of the composition, with two on this print, adding a poetic layer to the image.

Technique & Style

The print employs chiaroscuro, a technique using strong contrasts between light and dark to create a visually engaging scene.

History & Provenance

The poetry circle behind the print was based in Edo, now Tokyo, and active during the early 19th century. The composition may have been printed in April, considered optimal for beachcombing.

Artist & collection

Artist

Utagawa Kuniyoshi

Kuniyoshi grew up in old Tokyo when the city was still called Edo. His dad ran a silk shop, but Kuniyoshi loved anything with pictures—scrolls, screens, comic books. He talked his way into the Utagawa school, a kind of…