Utamaro

Kitagawa Utamaro was an Edo-period Japanese ukiyo-e artist renowned for portraits of women and images of daily life. His close-up portraits helped define bijin-ga, pictures of beautiful women.

Ten Studies in Female Physiognomy: A series of prints by Utamaro examining women’s faces, expressions, and character. The series shows his close-up approach to portraying individual women.
Ukiyo-e: A Japanese genre of art, especially woodblock prints and paintings, depicting the “floating world” of urban pleasure and entertainment. Utamaro worked within ukiyo-e’s commercial print culture.
Toriyama Sekien: An Edo-period Japanese painter and printmaker who taught several artists, including Utamaro. Utamaro studied under Sekien before developing his own style.
Edo: The former name of Tokyo, which served as Japan’s political center during the Edo period. Utamaro built his career in the city whose entertainments and consumers filled his prints.
Japanese art: Visual art produced in Japan across its historical periods and media. Utamaro’s prints became an internationally recognized part of this broader tradition.
The Hour of the Mouse: A print from Utamaro’s series comparing women’s activities with the hours of the day. It combines portraits with the rhythms of everyday life.
Bijin-ga: A genre of Japanese art depicting beautiful women, especially in ukiyo-e prints. His portraits became defining examples of this genre.
Tsutaya Jūzaburō: An influential Edo-period publisher who produced works by Utamaro and other artists. His publishing enterprise helped launch Utamaro’s mature career.
Edo period: The era of Japanese history from 1603 to 1868, when the Tokugawa shogunate ruled from Edo. The period’s urban culture and print market formed the setting for his work.
Japonisme: The influence of Japanese art and design on Western artists and collectors, especially in the nineteenth century. The circulation of ukiyo-e prints helped make Utamaro known to Western audiences.

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