Woman Reading a Letter under a Mosquito Net
Original title: Woman Reading a Letter under a Mosquito Net
kurzbeschreibung
Around 1798, Kitagawa Utamaro created the colour woodblock print 'Woman Reading a Letter under a Mosquito Net'. The sheet belongs to his series 'States of Love' (Enami no koto) and shows a woman in traditional dress seated beneath a mosquito net, absorbed in reading a letter. The motif is executed as a woodblock print with ink and colour on paper.
Description
Beneath a translucent mosquito net, a woman crouches, holding a letter in both hands, her gaze lowered in concentration. Her kimono displays patterns in blue, white and red; her hair is gathered in a knot and adorned with an ornament. At the upper left appears an inscription field with characters, while a suggested wooden structure and a carpeted floor define the space. The layout draws attention to the quiet, focused act of reading.
Context
Kitagawa Utamaro ranks among the outstanding masters of ukiyo-e in late eighteenth-century Japan, whose fame rests chiefly on his portrayals of women. This print was made during the Edo period, an era of urban culture and a flourishing print industry. Mosquito nets were part of everyday life in Japanese households at the time and often served in art as a frame for intimate scenes. The series to which the work belongs explores love relationships and moments of private life.
Impact
A quiet, contemplative mood emanates from the print, inviting the viewer to share in a private moment. The mosquito net forms a delicate threshold between the figure and her surroundings, heightening the intimacy of the scene. Clear contours and balanced colouring give the image a calm, aesthetic elegance.
Technique
As a ukiyo-e woodblock print with ink and colour on paper, the sheet follows a process common in Japanese printmaking. For the fine gradations and patterns, colours were applied in several printing passes with different woodblocks. Sharp contours and flat colouring characterise Utamaro's style.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)