Man and Woman

A composition depicting a man and woman together, rendered in Hanko's refined nihonga-influenced woodblock style. In the Meiji era, compositions featuring both sexes often reflected the social transformations of the period: the encounter of traditional and Western customs, the renegotiation of gender relationships in a modernizing society. Whether dressed in traditional kimono or incorporating Western elements, Hanko's couple would embody the particular tension and elegance of Meiji-era social representation.