Minneapolis Institute of Art

(Boy peeping at a woman behind a curtain)

Satō Hōdai

Date

1860s

Medium

Woodblock print (surimono), ink and color on paper with embossing

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

In Japan, people created temporary enclosures by hanging curtains from ropes tied to poles or tree trunks. Such enclosures were used by private parties, which gathered to enjoy flowering cherry trees with tasty picnics and copious rice-wine. In this print, the artist Gyodai pictures a love struck man who seems irresistibly drawn to a woman within such an enclosure. Her allure is heightened by the fact that she is partially hidden by the curtain. The amorous man, wearing a silly grin, may be trying to sneak into the party in an attempt to win the woman's affection. Gyodai's comical depiction captures the drunken revelry and mischief of such parties. Asia

The authoritative record is held by Minneapolis Institute of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.