Creator: Ukita Ikkei
Medium: Ink and Color
Culture: Japan
Dimensions: 11.75in x 25.5ft
Time: Edo Period, 1858
This painting was created by Ikkei in a satirical manner, a style that has had a rich history in Japanese paintings and culture. The images depict what looks like a wedding for foxes. The colors on the top right image have a darker tone, the darker shades of blue symbolize a type of evil, or lack of innocence being shown. The foxes seem to turn into humans; as I have learned, the artist Ikkei created this art piece as a symbol of resistance against the Tokugawa dynasty and the sham marriage between a princess and the shogun. The colors help show the combination of these two parties as the greens and tans merge to symbolize the interconnectedness of the marriage. The teachings in class have helped me learn more about the yamato-e style of painting. This style contains a lot of strong colors and a distinct contrast between warmer and cooler colors, as is shown in the bottom right picture with bright red colors contrasting the darker hued green and gray background.
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/44854
