Minneapolis Institute of Art
People Queuing to Get in the Benzaiten Hall at Shinobazu
Kitagawa Utamaro; Publisher: Izumiya Ichibei
- Date
- 1790s
- Medium
- Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper
- Department
- Asian Art
- Institution
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
Erected on an island in Shinobazu Pond, Benzaiten Hall is dedicated to the goddess of music and art. On the day of the annual festival in September, when the special statue of the goddess was exhibited in the hall, the temple gave away charms to worshippers. The charms were believed to magically bring wealth to their owners, so people from all over the city tried to visit the temple on that day. Utamaro, best known for his images of beautiful women, designed this print during the short period when he was interested in Western perspective. From a high vantage point, Utamaro pictured a long line of the people queuing to get in the hall. The line goes along the narrow land bridge, lined with stone lanterns, from the torii gate to the hall's entrance. There are people from all walks of life, including men, women, samurai (carrying swords), and monks. Not surprisingly given the beautiful scenery, nobody seems to mind the long wait. Japan, Asia
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