A Set of Three Romantic Journeys - Kitagawa Utamaro
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Description
A classic Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro depicting a couple sharing an umbrella beneath a flowering plum tree.
This woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro belongs to the genre of bijin-ga, which focuses on the depiction of beautiful women. The composition features a couple sharing a large paper umbrella, a common motif in Ukiyo-e art representing intimacy and shared travel. The male figure, dressed in a dark kimono with a sword tucked into his obi, stands slightly behind the female figure, who wears a patterned kimono adorned with circular motifs. The background is sparse, featuring a flowering plum tree that provides a seasonal context, suggesting late winter or early spring.
Utamaro is known for his ability to capture the psychological nuance of his subjects. Here, the figures are rendered with elongated proportions and delicate facial features, typical of the artist's mature style. The use of line is precise, defining the folds of the fabric and the structure of the umbrella with clarity. The colour palette is restrained, relying on soft pinks for the blossoms, muted greys, and deep blacks to create a balanced visual harmony. The print demonstrates the technical skill of the Edo-period woodblock carvers and printers, who managed to convey texture and depth through the layering of ink on paper.
As a piece from the Michiyuki sanpuku tsui series, this work reflects the cultural fascination with romantic narratives and the aesthetic conventions of the floating world. The print serves as an example of the sophisticated graphic design prevalent in late eighteenth-century Japan, where the interplay between figure and negative space was carefully considered to draw the viewer into the quiet, shared moment of the subjects. The work remains a clear representation of Utamaro's contribution to the development of the portraiture style in Japanese printmaking.
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Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
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Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
A Set of Three Romantic Journeys - Kitagawa Utamaro
Artist Biography
Kitagawa Utamaro
Almost nothing is certain about his early life. He was born around 1753, possibly in Edo, possibly in Kyoto, possibly in Kawagoe. He began publishing prints in the 1770s under the guidance of the publisher Tsutaya Juzaburo, who recognised what Utamaro could do with a portrait of a woman.
What he could do was unprecedented. He invented the okubi-e format: large head-and-shoulders portraits of individual women, mostly from the Yoshiwara pleasure district, printed in close-up with minimal background. Before Utamaro, bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women) showed groups of figures in full length. He isolated the face, the tilt of the head, the expression. The prints are psychologically specific in a way that had not existed in Japanese printmaking.
He also published books of insect studies and volumes of shunga (erotica), and he made portraits of ordinary town women, not just courtesans. Ohisa and Okita, two shopgirls who appeared in his Three Beauties of the Present Day, became famous across Edo because of his prints. He turned real people into celebrities, which may be the first documented instance of an artist functioning as a kind of media platform.
Tsutaya Juzaburo died in 1797. Utamaro was reportedly devastated. Some critics feel his work never reached the same level afterward. He produced over two thousand prints in his career.
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