Young Grasses (Wakakusa), from the series Beauties Matched with Flowers (Bijin hana kurabe)
by Ogata Gekko
- Series:
- Beauties Matched with Flowers
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Museum of Fine Arts Boston
- Image courtesy of
- Museum of Fine Arts Boston
by Ogata Gekko
This print from Ogata Gekko's Bijin hana kurabe (Beauties Matched with Flowers) series pairs a bijin figure with the motif of wakakusa (若草, young grasses), a classical poetic symbol of early spring growth and youthful freshness. In the series, each beauty is associated with a seasonal plant that serves as both visual motif and poetic attribute, and the wakakusa pairing evokes the delicate yellow-green tonality of new spring shoots as well as the waka tradition in which young grass figures as a metaphor for youth and nascent potential. Gekko depicts his bijin subject in the refined Meiji manner — elaborate coiffure, layered kimono with textile patterns differentiated through fine overprinting, and a composed facial expression. The young grass motif may appear as a ground-plane element, a background detail, or as an explicit attribute integrated into the composition's arrangement. The series as a whole demonstrates Gekko's range across [bijin-ga](/glossary/bijin-ga) and [kacho-e](/glossary/kacho-e) conventions, finding in each seasonal pairing a different set of compositional and coloristic opportunities.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Young Grasses (Wakakusa), from the series Beauties Matched with Flowers (Bijin hana kurabe) was created by Ogata Gekko (尾形月耕).
Yes — Young Grasses (Wakakusa), from the series Beauties Matched with Flowers (Bijin hana kurabe) is part of the Beauties Matched with Flowers series by Ogata Gekko.
Young Grasses (Wakakusa), from the series Beauties Matched with Flowers (Bijin hana kurabe) depicts bijin-ga.
