Mother and Child (ca. 1800)
Original title: Mother and Child
kurzbeschreibung
Kitagawa Utamaro made this colour woodblock print around 1800. It shows a woman carrying a child on her back, leaning over a person lying in a round vessel. The image was printed with ink and colour on paper.
Description
Unlike many mother-and-child pictures built on symmetry, this print relies on an uneven distribution: the woman and child occupy the left and centre, while a further figure rests at lower right inside a large round container. The woman wears traditional Japanese dress, the child a pale garment. Colours are mostly muted and natural, with the woman and child appearing lighter than the reclining figure. Light falls from above, lifting faces and hands. Crisp outlines separate the areas of colour cleanly from one another.
Context
Utamaro ranks among the outstanding artists of the Japanese colour woodblock print of the Edo period and is known for his pictures of women and mothers. This sheet dates from around 1800, when he produced numerous scenes of everyday life. Such prints belonged to ukiyo-e culture and were issued in series to reach a broad public.
Impact
A calm, intimate mood emanates from this print; the woman's gaze gently guides the viewer toward the reclining figure. The subdued palette and clear draughtsmanship give the work a quiet, dignified atmosphere.
Technique
The print was made by applying colours with ink to wooden blocks and then transferring them to paper. Precise contours and flat areas of colour distinguish this Japanese printing technique of the Edo period.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)