Published 1898, Court Ladies’ Picnic under the Flowers of Wisteria (#9) belongs to Tales of Old Japan (Yamato Monogatari). The title invokes Japan’s classical tale tradition, in which courtly anecdotes, poems, legends, and exemplary episodes transmit cultural memory. Gekkō recasts such material through Meiji draftsmanship and printing while preserving the authority of an imagined classical past.
The plant carries seasonal and poetic associations established through court literature, painting, and decorative art; its setting and companion motifs help specify the time of year. The catalog identifies flowers, landscape, tree, and women among the principal motifs. Gekkō uses their relationship to clarify action, season, setting, and narrative emphasis rather than treating them as interchangeable decoration.
Gekkō’s print style is noted for painterly contours, soft color transitions, and reserved paper, effects achieved through the collaborative disciplines of block carving and hand printing.
Additional information
| Editions | First Edition |
|---|---|
| Size | Oban |
| Subjects | flowers, landscape, tree, women |
| Year Published | 1898 |
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