Published 1891, Two Women on a Balcony Overlooking the Kamo River at Shijo in Kyoto (#19) belongs to Manners and Customs of Ladies (Fujin Fuzoku Zukushi). This series records women’s clothing, work, leisure, and domestic accomplishments during the rapidly changing Meiji period. Its elegant images preserve social practices while also reflecting contemporary ideals about femininity, education, household skill, and respectability.
The figure belongs to the bijin tradition but is presented through Meiji clothing, activity, and social setting, making the design evidence of changing ideals as well as beauty imagery. The catalog identifies bridge, river, 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, Second Edition |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Heikichi Matsuki, Sasaki Toyokichi |
| Size | Oban |
| Subjects | bridge, river, women |
| Year Published | 1891 |
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