Title- Long Sword
Artist- GONDER
Date- Unknown
Repository- [Black] Print Collection, Art History Debt, Cummings Arts Center, Connecticut’s College, New London
Size- 41*30cm
Material- Ink on Paper/ color woodcut
Origin- Japan
Description- This ink image depicts a man dressed in colorful clothing while holding a long sword. There seems to be some kind of face or dragon on his stomach and shoulders. He is also wearing a blue skirt that is long in the back which reveals the inside of the skirt to be red. The staff of the sword is also red, which is a scared color in Japan used regularly throughout the painting. This painting uses at lot of bright colors and occasionally some gold which helps differ the affect of light. The painting is done on a white background which helps draw focus to directly to the main in the painting.
Analysis- This painting would fit in the “figures” category in Japanese painting it depicts a man dressed in colorful clothing carrying a sword. The sword in the painting know as the “samurai sword” represents his soul. He sword also has a red staff, red is a sacred color in Japan used to protect the body of the man in power from evil. The gold is used to simply help amplify the painting by giving it a strong light affect. The artists tried to use all bright colors to represent power and protection. You may also notice that black was not used because this color in Japan relates to evil and destruction.
Sources- Connecticut College Japanese Prints Collections inventory, https://www.likejapan.com/en/life/cultural-taboos/
