Woman and Child (ca. 1793)
Original title: Woman and Child
kurzbeschreibung
A colour woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro, made around 1793, showing a woman with a baby on her lap and a second woman standing behind her. The image was printed in ink and colour on paper.
Description
In front, a woman sits on the floor with a baby resting in her lap; she wears a yellow kimono, her black hair pinned up. Behind her stands another woman in an orange obi and a black hat patterned with flowers, holding a fan. Both women look out toward the viewer. Further back, a chair and a table with an object on it can be made out. Warm tones — orange, yellow and brown — set the colouring.
Context
The print dates from the Edo period, an era of cultural flourishing and urban entertainment culture. Utamaro was known for his portrayals of women, among them beauties and mothers. Woodblock prints of scenes from everyday life were widespread at the time, and the mother-and-child motif appears often in eighteenth-century Japanese art.
Impact
The warm hues and even light give the scene a calm, intimate feel. Clear lines and a balanced layout lend the print elegance and a natural presence.
Technique
Fine lines and flat areas of colour define this woodblock print, with ink and pigments pressed onto paper. The colours were built up over several printing passes, as was typical for Japanese prints of this kind.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)