The title 春すがた (haru sugata, Spring Figure) identifies this as a [bijin-ga](/glossary/bijin-ga) in seasonal dress — a composition type in which a woman's appearance, kimono fabric, and bearing are used to embody the character of spring. In the [shin-hanga](/glossary/shin-hanga) tradition, seasonal bijin-ga were among the most commercially cultivated print types, with publishers commissioning designs that connected feminine beauty to the established visual vocabulary of the season: pale greens, [sakura](/glossary/sakura) pinks, and the light fall of spring garments. Kato Shinmei's design would have been realized through careful block carving to capture textile pattern and the subtle modeling of the figure, with [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) gradation in the background contributing atmospheric warmth appropriate to the season.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Spring Figure — 春すがた was created by Kato Shinmei (加藤晋明).
Spring Figure — 春すがた depicts figures and spring.
