Bijin and Shamisen

The painting features a bijin who seems lost in contemplation while holding a three-stringed shamisen. Instead of the characteristic stylized outlines, as found in traditional Japanese woodblock prints, the artist has used conventional Western realism techniques in order to make the image appear real and vivid. The gentle play of shadows and highlights on the figure’s face and clothes adds a sense of dimensionality to the subject by emphasizing the fabric textures of her kimono. The woman’s pose is elegant and calm, implying that she stopped for a moment playing her instrument. The shamisen is lying next to her and its detailed wooden body and long neck emphasize the artist’s skill in working with perspective. The fine brushstrokes imply that this image was made using watercolors and the use of delicate and muted colors creates an atmosphere of intimacy. Her stance is elegant but relaxed, implying a brief halt of her performance. The shamisen is leaning on her figure, its long neck made out of wood and unique structure shown in fine detail to reveal the skills of the artist in perspective and drawing. The brush strokes show the transparent nature of watercolors and soft colors used to emphasize the intimate atmosphere of the portrait. Using this composition, the painting brilliantly merges two different types of artistry. It combines the traditional Japanese culture symbol of the geisha or a musical beauty into a European academic style of portrait painting.