A Woman Playing with a Young Boy
Original title: A Woman Playing with a Young Boy
kurzbeschreibung
Kitagawa Utamaro's colour woodblock print on paper, made around 1804, shows a woman in traditional Japanese dress turning toward a small boy. Flowering branches fill the space above the pair.
Description
Seated on a cushion, the woman holds the boy, who sits on the floor and looks up at her. Her robe carries a floral pattern, while the child wears plain clothing. Blossoming branches occupy the upper right. The layout feels balanced and centred on the two figures, with muted tones prevailing and touches of red and gold. Crisp outlines and flatly applied colour define the print's style.
Context
Utamaro ranks among the major ukiyo-e artists of the Edo period and is best known for his pictures of women and children. Around 1804 woodblock prints were widely circulated in Japan and often took up scenes of everyday life. Mother and child was a popular subject, one that underlined the social position of women and the standing of the family.
Impact
The calm, balanced arrangement and subdued palette create an intimate, harmonious mood. The tender attention between woman and child lends the image emotional depth, and the closeness of the two figures is immediately felt by the viewer.
Technique
Ink and colour were printed on paper, as was customary in Japanese ukiyo-e. Crisp contours and flat areas of colour come from printing with several woodblocks, each transferring one colour separately. Finely drawn lines and precisely matched colours characterise Utamaro's working method.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)