Teahouse Waitress behind a Bamboo Blind, from the series Eight Views of Tea Stalls in Celebrated Places
ca. 1795-96
Bamboo Blind utilizes a compositional technique Utamaro often employed: a transparent layer that separates viewer from subject. By partially obscuring a form with a gauzy robe, mosquito net, or woven grass shade, the artist both concealed and revealed, heightening a sense of voyeuristic mystery. It required rare skill to produce such subtle color changes and sophisticated designs.
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Sheet: 15 3/8 x 10 1/4 in. (39.1 x 26 cm)
Gift of Mary and Allan Kollar, in honor of the 75th Anniversary of the Seattle Art Museum
2017.23.8
Provenance: [Israel Goldman Japanese Prints, London, England]; purchased from gallery by Allan Kollar, Seattle, Washington, 2004; to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 2017
Photo: Scott Leen