喜多川歌麿画 夜の雨に芸者と三味線箱を持つ女|Geisha and Attendant on a Rainy Night
ca. 1797
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H. 14 3/4 in. (37.5 cm); W. 9 5/8 in. (24.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Fletcher Fund, 1929
Accession Number
JP1525
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868), Kitagawa Utam (1753–1806) captured the fleeting beauty of urban life through his masterful ukiyo-e wood prints. This charming work, *Geisha and Att on a Rainy Night (ca. 1797), exemplifies Utamaro's bijin-ga style—intimate portraits of elegant women from the "floating world" of pleasure districts. Produced as a color woodblock print on paper (measuring 14¾ × 9⅝ in.), it reflects the innovative ukiyo-e technique: artisans carved intricate blocks for each color layer, allowing affordable mass production that brought art to everyday viewers. ...
About the Artist
Kitagawa Utamaro · 1753–1806
Kitagawa Utamaro (c. 1753-1806) was one of the most celebrated masters of ukiyo-e woodblock printing, revolutionizing the art of bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women) during Japan's Edo period. Born Kitagawa Ichitaro, his early life remains shrouded in mystery, with conflicting accounts placing his birth in Kyoto, Osaka, Yoshiwara in Edo (modern Tokyo), or Kawagoe in Musashi Province. Under the t...