Two women stretching cloth
- Date:
- c. 1797/98
- Medium:
- Color woodblock print; double-page illustration from book
- Format:
- Oban
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
Description
Two women pull and stretch a long bolt of textile cloth between them, their extended arms forming the horizontal axis of the composition in this double-page illustration from a book from around 1797–98. The stretching of cloth — done to smooth and align the weave after dyeing or washing — was a task requiring two workers in a coordinated rhythm, and Hokusai depicts the physical effort with the same attentiveness he gave to carpentry, fishing, and other forms of skilled labor.
More Prints by Katsushika Hokusai
Empress Jito (Jito Tenno) from the series
Woodblock print
Hokusai manga (Hokusai Sketchbooks)
19th century
Woodblock-printed book; ink and light color on paper
Fukuroi
1804
Japanese woodblock print
The Fishermen of Katase Hauling in Their Nets: The Purple Shell (Murasakigai)
1821
Color woodblock print with metallic pigments; surimono shikishiban
More Figures Prints
Frequently Asked Questions
Two women stretching cloth was created by Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎) in c. 1797/98.
Two women stretching cloth depicts figures, craftspeople, and daily life.