Enjoying the Evening Cool under a Gourd Trellis

early 19th century
Not on view
Known for his creative and subtle depictions of world-weary beauties, Toyohiro here captures a moment in the lives of a couple enjoying a cool evening. Both look relaxed; the husband is about to sing, while his wife, fanning herself, appears to be asking for a sip of wine. Seemingly an exquisite example of pure genre painting, it actually manifests a deeply rooted Japanese tradition in which painting is intimately linked to poetry, in this case a popular verse by Kinoshita Chōshōshi (1569–1649):

Under a trellis of evening gourd blossoms,
A man in a shirt and a woman in a petticoat,
Enjoy the cool of evening.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 夕顔棚下納涼図
  • Title: Enjoying the Evening Cool under a Gourd Trellis
  • Artist: Utagawa Toyohiro (Japanese, 1763–1828)
  • Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
  • Date: early 19th century
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
  • Dimensions: Image: 33 1/4 x 11 in. (84.5 x 27.9 cm)
    Overall with knobs: 65 1/8 x 16 1/2 in. (165.4 x 41.9 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: The Harry G. C. Packard Collection of Asian Art, Gift of Harry G. C. Packard, and Purchase, Fletcher, Rogers, Harris Brisbane Dick, and Louis V. Bell Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and The Annenberg Fund Inc. Gift, 1975
  • Object Number: 1975.268.129
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

Audio

Cover Image for 8829. Enjoying the Evening Cool under a Gourd Trellis

8829. Enjoying the Evening Cool under a Gourd Trellis

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