『画本虫撰』「赤蜻蛉」「いなこ」|Red Dragonfly (Akatonbo); Locust (Inago), from the Picture Book of Crawling Creatures (Ehon mushi erami)
1788
Medium
Page from woodblock-printed book; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Overall: 10 1/2 x 7 1/4 in. (26.7 x 18.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1918
Accession Number
JP1051
Tags
Art Historical Context
Created by the renowned ukiyo-e master Kitagawa Utamaro in 1788, this page comes from the illustrated book *Ehon mushi erami* (Picture Book of Crawling Creatures). The work features a vibrant red dragonfly and a locust amid stylized plants, rendered in ink and color on paper through the intricate woodblock printing process. Measuring just over ten inches tall, the print exemplifies the Edo period’s (1615–1868) flourishing print culture, when affordable illustrated books brought refined natural imagery into ordinary households. Utamaro, celebrated for his sensitive portrayals of women, here de...
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...