Title : The “Clearing Weather” of the Fan

Artist : Suzuki Harunobu

Date : c. 1766

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Source : Honolulu Museum of Art
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Description : Although unsigned, this print of a young woman and her maid out on a stroll is unmistakably by Harunobu because of the manner in which it depicts youthful beauty. The print is from a set of unsigned prints that the artist produced in 1766. The set was the artist's depiction of the classical “Eight Views” theme (derived from a Chinese landscape theme depicting famous places at specific times) of “Clear Sky.” The young woman holds a fan that is intended to signify the “clearing weather.” As with many of Harunobu's multicolored prints, his tonal range is in the brown, red, and orange color scheme, which lends a feeling of warmth to the scene. The juxtaposition of the figures, with one turning her head slightly down and to the right while the other glances in the opposite direction, establishes a visual tension that creates an interesting negative space between the two. Note how the figural composition in this print resembles the much more formal finished print to the left, which demonstrates how Harunobu reused and reinvented scenes for his youthful beauties to explore. (from Summer Evenings: Harunobu exhibition 5/30/06-)

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