KITAGAWA UTAMARO (1753-1806) BIJIN-GA WOODBLOCK PRINT AFTER THE EDO PERIOD MASTER, 22IN x 26IN (56cm x 66cm)

Inventory #: 25-243 - $375.00

Elegant Japanese ukiyo-e bijin-ga woodblock print after the celebrated Edo-period master Kitagawa Utamaro (1753–1806), titled “Fujin Sōgaku Jippin” (Ten Classes of Women’s Physiognomy), Woman Reading a Letter. Utamaro is widely regarded as one of the greatest portraitists of women in the history of Japanese art. The composition depicts a graceful young woman delicately holding and reading a folded letter, rendered with Utamaro’s signature aesthetic of elongated facial proportions, refined hair arrangement with comb and hairpin, and a beautifully patterned kimono. The subtle gesture and introspective pose exemplify the intimate psychological portrayal of women that made Utamaro’s bijin-ga prints famous during the late Edo period. The vertical cartouche at right reads Fujin Sōgaku Jippin, translated as “Ten Classes of Women’s Physiognomy.” This celebrated series explored subtle variations in feminine beauty and personality and remains among the most admired works of classical ukiyo-e printmaking. This example appears to be a later Japanese woodblock reproduction after the original Edo-period design. A Japanese copyright stamp on the verso reading Fukyo Fukusei – Reproduction Prohibited, indicates production by a Japanese print workshop, likely dating to the mid-20th century, when high-quality reproductions of famous ukiyo-e prints were widely produced for collectors and export markets. Printed in the traditional vertical ōban format, the print retains the refined linework and harmonious color palette characteristic of Utamaro’s celebrated beauty portraits, making it an appealing decorative example of classical Japanese print design. This piece was part of the famous Robert O. Muller collection, and it was purchased by Muller in the 1930s. This piece was examined outside of the frame and the piece appears generally good with typical light age toning and minor handling consistent with age. This piece is matted and framed under acrylic in an ornate golden frame. With frame, this measures 22 inches x 26 inches. 

About the Artist: Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806) was a Japanese artist. He is one of the most highly regarded designers of ukiyo-e woodblock prints and paintings, and is best known for his bijin okubi-e, "large-headed pictures of beautiful women" of the 1790s. He also produced nature studies, particularly illustrated books of insects. Little is known of Utamaro's life. His work began to appear in the 1770s, and he rose to prominence in the early 1790s with his portraits of beauties with exaggerated, elongated features. He produced over 2000 known prints and was one of the few ukiyo-e artists to achieve fame throughout Japan in his lifetime. In 1804 he was arrested and manacled for fifty days for making illegal prints depicting the 16th-century military ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and died two years later. Utamaro's work reached Europe in the mid-nineteenth century, where it was very popular, enjoying particular acclaim in France. He influenced the European Impressionists, particularly with his use of partial views and his emphasis on light and shade, which they imitated. The reference to the "Japanese influence" among these artists often refers to the work of Utamaro. Little is known of Utamaro's life. He was born Kitagawa Ichitaro in c1753. As an adult, he was known by the given names Yusuke, and later Yuki. Early accounts have given his birthplace as Kyoto, Osaka, Yoshiwara in Edo (modern Tokyo), or Kawagoe in Musashi Province (modern Saitama Prefecture); none of these places has been verified. The names of his parents are not known; it has been suggested his father may have been a Yoshiwara teahouse owner, or Toriyama Sekien, an artist who tutored him and who wrote of Utamaro playing in his garden as a child. Apparently, Utamaro married, although little is known about his wife and there is no record of their having had children. There are, however, many prints of tender and intimate domestic scenes featuring the same woman and child over several years of the child's growth among his works.