Two Women Polishing Red Lacquer Panels Painting

Two women at work among shelves of red and black trays

This painting shows a workshop of lacquer panels. In the upper half a woman in a teal top and ochre trousers leans forward, hair tied back, and rubs the face of a tall folding screen with a round pad. The screen is black on one leaf, with pale gold leaves painted on it, and a pale gold panel on the other.

Below her, a second woman in a dark blue tunic and a blue cap kneels on the floor and wipes a large red tabletop with a folded cloth. Behind them, wooden shelves hold red and black boxes and a gold leaf tray, some with small leaf motifs.

Flat red, black and ochre laid in broad oil strokes

The palette rests on red, near black and ochre, with the teal and dark blue of the two tunics as the cool notes. The strokes are broad and visible, and the walls break into blocks of cream, rust and brown. Gold appears only in small touches: the tray at the top, the leaves on the screen.

Two figures on a diagonal, the standing woman above and the kneeling one below, link the shelves to the red table in the foreground. A bench with brushes in a pot on the left and a vase of bare branches on the right frame the scene.

A tall canvas for warm rooms, restaurants and offices

The portrait format suits a narrow wall or a hallway, where the eye can travel from the shelves down to the red table. The strong reds and blacks hold their own against cream or pale wood, and the balanced blocks of colour keep the scene orderly in a modern home, restaurant or office.

FAQ

What is the kneeling woman doing?

She wears a dark blue tunic and a blue cap, and she wipes a large red tabletop with a folded cloth, holding the edge with her other hand.

What is the standing woman polishing?

She leans over a tall folding screen with a black leaf decorated with pale gold leaves and a pale gold panel, and rubs it with a round pad.

Where does gold appear in the painting?

Gold is used sparingly: a gold leaf tray on the top shelf, small leaf motifs on boxes, and the leaves on the black screen.

Which rooms suit this red and black palette?

Its warm reds and deep blacks sit well on cream or pale walls in homes, restaurants and offices, and the vertical format fits narrow wall spaces.