Two women chasing fireflies

歌川豊国筆 蛍と美人図
Catching fireflies was a popular activity on warm summer nights in old Edo (present-day Tokyo). Here two women enjoy a cooling breeze as they chase fireflies along the Sumida River. The waitress on the right tightens her apron sash as fireflies hover in the air nearby. Wind dances through the willow branches and lifts her hem and obi sash. Up to her ankles in the water, the geisha on the left is poised to chase the fireflies with her fan. Unlike the courtesans in the Yoshiwara pleasure quarter, who were expected to exhibit perfect feminine manners, these women are depicted with animated gestures, as if out for some high-spirited fun.
The artist, Utagawa Toyokuni, created the sepia tones of this painting by mixing yellow and red pigments with ink. Highlights of white and gold glow against the otherwise monochrome palette, used here to suggest the dim light of evening. At the upper left, the Ryogoku Bridge can be seen disappearing into the mist. The painting’s owner would have enjoyed this reference to one of the famous landmarks of Edo.