The artwork, titled “Amusements of the First Snowfall,” was created by the renowned artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi approximately between 1847 and 1852 in Japan. It is a woodblock print that belongs to the Ukiyo-e art movement and measures 36.5 x 73 cm. The piece is classified as a genre painting, depicting everyday activities, and is currently housed in the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
The artwork vividly captures a scene of leisure during the first snowfall. It consists of three panels, each depicting women dressed in elaborate, colorful kimonos engaged in playful activities in a snowy landscape. The central figure appears to be making a snow sculpture, while the surrounding women marvel at the scene, all set against a background of snow-covered trees and landscape. The attention to detail in the clothing patterns, the expressiveness of the figures, and the harmonious use of colors are characteristic of Kuniyoshi’s mastery in woodblock printing, emphasizing both the elegance and the playfulness of the moment.
