風俗美人時計　子ノ刻　妾|Midnight: Mother and Sleepy Child

About this artwork

In the vibrant ukiyo-e tradition of Japan's Edo period (1615–1868), Kitagawa Utamaro'sMidnight: Mother andy Child* (1790) captures a tender moment from his series *Fūzoku Bijin Tokei*, portraying women across the day's hours. This woodblock, or nishiki-e ("brocade picture"), a mother cradling her drowsy infant at the "hour of the rat"midnight), highlighting Utamaro's bijin-ga mastery—elegant portrayals of beautiful women in everyday life. Utamaro's innovative close-up composition draws viewers into the intimate scene, with delicate lines tracing the mother's gentle expression and the child's sleepy slump against a stark background. Printed with layered ink and color on paper through collaborative woodblock carving, the soft palette evokes quiet nocturne, elevating domesticity to poetic art. During Edo's cultural boom in what is now Tokyo, Utamaro transformed maternal themes into high art, influencing ukiyo-e's psychological depth and even Western artists. Acquired via the Rogers Fund in 1922, this Metropolitan Museum gem celebrates enduring human bonds.