The Curfew at Dōjōji

On a platform by a cherry tree, from the flowering branches of which a large temple bell is suspended, an actor recreates the legendary female role of Kiyohime, who dances to exorcise the pain of rejection by her beloved. Kiyomitsu depicts this scene in subdued green tones that are fully modulated by the three-color print process. The three seated figures at the rear, echoed by the three trees behind them, and the placement of these figures on a diagonally striped platform frame the enactment of this dramtic event within a repetition of forms. The sharp shifts in scale and the diagonal lines demonstrate a new awareness of perspective. The awkward stacking of the figures and the flattening effect of the boldly striped boards, however, return the viewer to the two-dimensional surface of the print. By self-consciously employing the tension between two-and three-dimensionality, and by juxtaposing decorative and architectural features, Kiyomitsu forged a distinctly new style.