Catching Fireflies Beneath a Willow Tree (right) - Kitagawa Utamaro
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Description
A refined Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro, depicting women catching fireflies in a serene, natural setting.
This woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro depicts a scene of women engaged in the summer pastime of catching fireflies. As a master of the bijin-ga genre, Utamaro focused on the portrayal of women, often emphasising their physical grace and the subtle nuances of their expressions. This work is the right panel of a larger composition, capturing a moment of quiet activity near a stream.
The figures are rendered with the characteristic elongated proportions and refined line work associated with Utamaro's mature period. The artist employs a muted colour palette, relying on soft pinks, earthy browns, and subtle blues to create a sense of evening atmosphere. The composition balances the standing figures with the crouching woman in the foreground, who reaches toward the water. The willow branches and grasses provide a sense of place, grounding the figures in a natural setting without overwhelming the human subjects.
Utamaro was instrumental in the development of the okubi-e, or large-head portrait, but his multi-figure compositions such as this demonstrate his ability to manage spatial relationships and narrative flow. The print reflects the aesthetic values of the Edo period, where the leisure activities of urban residents became a common subject for woodblock artists. The delicate lines of the garments and the precise rendering of the hair styles demonstrate the technical skill of the carvers and printers who collaborated with Utamaro. This print offers a view into the social customs of the time, presented with the stylistic elegance that defined the Ukiyo-e school.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
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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
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- 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
Catching Fireflies Beneath a Willow Tree (right) - 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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