Artwork preview

“The Poet Sōjō Henjō (816–890) Slipping a Letter into a Woman’s Sleeve,” from the series Five Colors of Love for the Six Poetic Immortals (Goshiki-zome rokkasen)

Kitagawa Utamaro

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The image depicts a traditional Japanese woodblock print featuring two figures. The man on the right sits with his knees bent and back leaning against the woman on the left. He has a bald head with a white mustache and eyebrows. He wears a pink robe with a green undergarment. The man appears to be reaching under the woman's robe. The woman sits with her head bowed, facing left. She has long dark hair in a low ponytail and wears a pink robe with white swirls over a white undergarment. A green sash is around her waist. A leafy green and white floral arrangement sits on the floor in front of the pair. The background is a light brown color with darker brown horizontal lines. There is Japanese text on the right side.

Artwork Details

Date
ca. 1798
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Culture
Japan
Dimensions
423 × 624 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette