The Black Lotus, China

The Black Lotus, China 

黒い蓮華、中国

Artist
JACOULET, Paul
ジャクレー、ポール
Birth Year
1896
Death Year
1960
Date
1959 
Technique, Material, Format
woodblock 
Dimension
39.4 x 30.3 cm 
Category
Print by Foreign Artist 
Inventory Number
91-PRF-037 

The young Chinese woman is preparing to get married. She is dressed in a somewhat somber color, but her gauze-like see-through coat has jet-black floral patterns and a thin hem of gold. It’s chic, and in fact quite an extravagant design. The decoration on her hat, her lips, her pink jade tabaco case and its red tassel, the tinge of pink on her cheeks and nails, and the yellow of her pipe add touches of color to the near-monochrome work. And to further highlight the main subject, the background is also finished in a neutral but elegant silver.
Paul Jacoulet named the bride Black Lotus, referencing the common idiom that "a lotus grows in the mud" meaning it possesses purity even when its surrounds are dirty. The work demonstrates the French ukiyo-e artist’s mastery of Eastern culture and traditions.
(SAKAMOTO Kyoko)

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