Genre in Kunisada's Prints of the Twelve Months

The subject of the twelve months was first introduced into the Japanese print repertory in the 18th century by Okumura Masanobu (1686-1764), a highly innovative Japanese printmaker. In contrast to mainstream depictions of kabuki actors and courtesans boldly framed against a simple ground, this new type of work from the beginning encompassed scenery as well. These mid-19th-century renditions by Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865) have expanded to occupy three sheets of paper in triptych format. The monumental compositions place each month's theme within an elaborate domestic interior or a landscape environment.

Kunisada's series is constructed around the depiction of seasonal activities and holiday observances as performed by women, in most cases. He alternates mundane activities such as cooking (The Fourth Month) with the preparation of rice cakes (mochi) for the New Year's holiday (The Twelfth Month), contrasting simple daily routines with holiday preparations and the special activities associated with them. The passage of time is defined in terms of how the extraordinary (hare) punctuates and offsets the cycle of daily life (ke). Festival days (harebi) mark important religious celebrations and are represented here as a contrast to the mundane habits of one's customary routine.As genre subjects, these images make a significant commentary on Edo-period life by elucidating the seasonal sequence and its special holidays and occupations.

This set of prints of The Twelve Months reflects the intricacy of surface pattern and attention to detail that is so characteristic of Kunisada's work. In addition, the artist's powerful compositions provide an effective means for conveying the passage of the seasons and the yearly calendrical cycle.