Woman in a Tree Grove - 木立の女

A woman standing in a tree grove — "koritachi no onna" — the trees framing her figure in a composition that places the bijin subject within a natural setting rather than the domestic interiors that characterize most of Goyo's work. The dappled light filtered through trees creates opportunities for the tonal modulation through bokashi shading that was Goyo's hallmark technical achievement. The outdoor setting gives the figure a quality of freedom and exposure that contrasts with the contained interiority of his bath and dressing-table compositions.