Enjoying the Evening Cool under a Gourd Trellis

Utagawa Toyohiro Japanese

Not on view

Known for his creative and subtle depictions of world-weary beauties, Toyohiro here captures a moment in the lives of a couple enjoying a cool evening. Both look relaxed; the husband is about to sing, while his wife, fanning herself, appears to be asking for a sip of wine. Seemingly an exquisite example of pure genre painting, it actually manifests a deeply rooted Japanese tradition in which painting is intimately linked to poetry, in this case a popular verse by Kinoshita Chōshōshi (1569–1649):

Under a trellis of evening gourd blossoms,
A man in a shirt and a woman in a petticoat,
Enjoy the cool of evening.

#8829. Enjoying the Evening Cool under a Gourd Trellis

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Enjoying the Evening Cool under a Gourd Trellis, Utagawa Toyohiro (Japanese, 1763–1828), Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper, Japan

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Enjoying the Evening Cool under a Gourd Trellis, Utagawa Toyohiro (Japanese, 1763–1828), Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper, Japan
Enjoying the Evening Cool under a Gourd Trellis, Utagawa Toyohiro (Japanese, 1763–1828), Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper, Japan
Enjoying the Evening Cool under a Gourd Trellis, Utagawa Toyohiro (Japanese, 1763–1828), Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper, Japan

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