Murasaki Shikibu: Bird, from the series "Famous Women and Their Poems on Flowers, Birds, Wind, and Moon (Meifu eika kacho fugetsu)"
c. 1805
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
38.8 × 25.8 cm (15 1/4 × 10 1/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
22083
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan, Kitagawa Utam (1753–1806), a master of ukiyo woodblock prints, created *Murasaki Shikibu Bird* around 1805. This oban-sized color woodblock print (38.8 × 25.8 cm) is part of the series *Famous Women and Their Poems on, Birds, Wind, Moon (Meifu eika kacho fugetsu)*, which celebrates illustrious women poets paired with evocative natural motifs. Here, the legendary author Murasaki Shikibu—pen name of the 11th-century noblewoman who wrote *The Tale of Genji*, often called the world's first novel—is depicted alongside a delicate bird, symbolizing themes of ...
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...