Inside and Outside the House at Night 夜景内外の図やけいうちそと　ず

Description

This ukiyo-e woodblock print depicts scenes inside and outside the fence of a residence. The setting is a spring evening with cherry blossoms in full bloom.

The artist, Kubo Shunman, was a man of many talents. In addition to ukiyo-e, he also tried his hand at comic tanka poems, haiku, and popular literature.

Several passers-by are depicted in bold relief in front of a black fence. They use lamps in their hands to guide them along the dark evening path. This essentially monochrome work is rendered predominantly in black ink. This technique of eschewing vivid colors is known as 'benigirai,' which translates as 'despising red.'

It may seem monochrome, but a closer look reveals splashes of color here and there. Color has been used sparingly for illuminated areas only, like the indoor scene at the back or the areas lit by the lamps held by the passers-by. Colors become harder to distinguish in the darkness of night. This work realistically portrays a scene we have all experienced at some point.