size of the original painting: 2 feet x 3.5 feet
Although this painting looks simple without a background, look around carefully: Miyagawa paid a lot of attention to detail. See how the layers of clothing are filled with intricate details. What else do you notice?
To welcome ambassadors from other countries, people from Ryukyu, Japan (now Okinawa) performed special dances—and that’s exactly what these people are doing. Ryukyuan dances tell stories. But unlike most western dancers that move around quickly, Ryukyuan performers use slow, precise movements. The music they dance to also sounds different than most western music.
If you want to watch traditional Ryukyuan dancers and listen to musicians playing some of the instruments in this painting, check out these videos:
• Ryukyuan Dancers
• Someone playing a lute
• Someone playing the sanshin
• Someone playing the flute
To Think About:
Every culture tells stories through dance and music. Would you rather be a musician or a dancer?
Meet the Artist:
We don’t know much about Miyagawa Choshun except that he was born in a Japanese village called Miyagawa (just like his surname). He later lived in Edo. Choshun also taught art to students, including his son.
Choshun’s art style is called ukiyo-e, which often shows actors and entertainers. Ukiyo-e paintings don’t usually include backgrounds, like what you see in Ryukyuan Dancer and Musicians. Most ukiyo-e artists printed their work from woodblocks, but Choshun and his students painted directly onto silk and paper.
Where in the world: Japan
