From Gekko's Bijin hana kurabe series, in which beautiful women are paired with seasonal botanical subjects in a competition of natural and human beauty, this print associates a female figure with koyo, the autumn foliage of maple trees. The series drew on a deep tradition in Japanese art and poetry of comparing women to flowers and seasonal phenomena. The figure would be depicted in autumnal dress with warm-toned textiles appropriate to the season, surrounded by maple leaves rendered in gradations of red, orange, and deep gold achieved through careful multi-block color registration. Gekko's [bijin-ga](/glossary/bijin-ga) typically balance the decorative elaboration of garments and setting against a sense of psychological interiority in the figure's posture and gaze. The rich chromatic range of autumn foliage allowed for technically demanding color work.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Koyo 紅葉 / Bijin hana kurabe 美人花競 was created by Ogata Gekko (尾形月耕).
Koyo 紅葉 / Bijin hana kurabe 美人花競 depicts bijin-ga and autumn foliage.
