Drawing the First Water of the New Year/ 若水を汲む男女

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The author Suzuki Harunobu is the leading artist of woodblock multi-colored prints called Nishiki-e.  Particularly, he is famous for bijinga, the depiction of young women including this work. This artwork depicts the scene where a young couple draws water. This artwork depicts the ritual to the god in the spring season and has some ingenuity that makes the viewers feel a sense of spring. In Japan at that time, people drew the first water and offered it to the god. Also, in the background, plum blossoms, the symbol of spring, are about to bloom.