July, After a Bath

A woman fresh from bathing in the July heat is the subject of this oban woodblock print, depicting a moment of physical refreshment during Japan's most oppressive summer month. The yuagari (after-bath) theme has a long pedigree in bijin-ga, offering artists the opportunity to depict women in a relaxed, informal state with loosened hair and light summer garments. The July setting places the scene in the thick of Japan's humid summer, when bathing provides temporary relief from the enveloping heat. Seien renders the woman's post-bath ease with visible sympathy, capturing the slight flush of warm skin cooling in the evening air and the casual arrangement of a yukata or light robe. The seasonal specificity grounds the image in a particular sensory experience.