Mother and Child (ca. 1793)
Original title: Mother and Child
kurzbeschreibung
Kitagawa Utamaro made this colour woodblock print around 1793. A mother sits on the floor, looking into a mirror while keeping watch over a child lying beside her. The image is executed in ink and colour on paper and measures 37.8 by 25.1 centimetres.
Description
The seated woman wears a robe patterned with flowers, her hair tied in a knot. Her gaze rests in the mirror while the child lies on the floor, dressed in a garment with a red ribbon. A small box and a second mirror can be made out at the side. Colours stay mostly muted, with reds and browns providing the accents. Crisp contours and clear lines shape the layout, and the light falls evenly across the sheet.
Context
Utamaro ranks among the foremost masters of the Japanese colour woodblock print of the Edo period and became known above all for his pictures of women. This sheet dates from the 1790s, when prints showing scenes of everyday life in Edo, present-day Tokyo, circulated widely. The artist produced numerous images of mothers and children that place domestic life at their centre. An urban public valued such subjects, which often appeared in series.
Impact
The situation feels calm and familiar, and the woman's look into the mirror lends her a thoughtful air. Clear lines and restrained colours create a harmonious, almost silent mood. The closeness between mother and child is emphasised without the picture turning sentimental.
Technique
For this work the design was cut in wood and transferred to paper in ink and colour. The Japanese colour woodblock print (nishiki-e) allowed fine lines and the overprinting of several colours. The contours are cut precisely, and the areas of colour stand clearly apart from one another.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)