Erotic Print (Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Met-Objekt 4588)
Original title: Erotic Print
kurzbeschreibung
Kitagawa Utamaro, celebrated for his portrayals of women, left this anonymously transmitted woodblock print as an example of his erotic sheets. Two figures in traditional Japanese attire appear in an intimate situation. The sheet was executed in ink and color on paper and dates from the 19th century.
Description
Two people are seen making love: one wears a kimono with a floral pattern, the other is dressed only in undergarments. Cups and bowls of everyday life fill the rear of the sheet. Red, green, and gray dominate the color scheme, with golden accents setting off the garments. The layout feels unevenly distributed, with the figures in front and the objects behind. Japanese characters run along the left edge.
Context
Utamaro ranks among the most important representatives of Japanese ukiyo-e between the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became famous for his pictures of women, which also include shunga, the erotic prints. During the Edo period, such sheets were part of everyday culture and circulated both as standalone prints and in book form.
Impact
What this sheet carries is its wealth of detail and strong coloring. The familiar scene feels immediate and open, without a detached observer's stance—a characteristic trait of Utamaro's work.
Technique
The sheet was made as a woodblock print, with ink and color on paper, following the usual ukiyo-e process. Multiple printing passes brought the colors onto the paper one after another, allowing for the fine gradations and patterns.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)