Shodo (Calligraphy) (1)

Shōdō, the practice of brush calligraphy, carried strong associations with Confucian education and aesthetic cultivation in Meiji Japan. Shuntei depicts a figure — most likely a woman in the [bijin-ga](/glossary/bijin-ga) tradition — engaged in brushwork at a low writing desk, ink stone and water dropper arranged beside the paper. The act of calligraphy was a standard attribute print subject, used to signify literacy and artistic attainment. Compositionally, the dark ink of the brush and the written characters on white paper would create a strong focal contrast against the softer textile tones of the figure's clothing. The '(1)' designation indicates a related composition exists, possibly showing a different stage of the practice or a different figure.