Wading in a River - 風呂や (1)
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Ohmi Gallery
- Image courtesy of
- Ohmi Gallery
Description
The Japanese subtitle 風呂や likely refers to a bathhouse context or riverside washing activity, suggesting the scene depicts figures — possibly children or young women — wading in shallow water, a subject that allowed printmakers to combine landscape with figure study. Shuntei would have used graduated bokashi washes to render the water surface, with cool blue and grey tones contrasting against warm skin tones and the bright patterns of tucked-up kimono. Reflections and ripple lines in the water, achieved through careful keyblock carving, add kinetic energy to the composition. The subject connects to a broader tradition of seasonal leisure prints in which summer river activities provided an occasion to depict the human figure in informal, unguarded movement.
More Prints by Miyagawa Shuntei
"Hatsumode (A Visit to a Shrine on New Year's Day) (1)"
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Triptych: Village of Cherry Blossoms, from the series Esteemed Towns and Villages (Tôsei furaku tsû), Meiji period, 1897
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Applying Makeup - 風呂や (1)
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More Landscapes Prints
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The Beach at Kaiganji in Sanuki Province (Sanuki Kaiganji no hama), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)"
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Tea Kettle, section of a sheet from the series "Mirror of Stone Rubbings of Views of the Provinces" (Kohon meihitsu ishizuri kagami)
n.d.
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Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Wading in a River - 風呂や (1) was created by Miyagawa Shuntei (宮川春汀).
Wading in a River - 風呂や (1) depicts landscapes.