Elegant Pleasures: The Scent of Flowers, right - Kitagawa Utamaro
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Description
A refined Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro, depicting a group of women in a moment of quiet social interaction.
This woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro belongs to the genre of bijin-ga, which focuses on the depiction of beautiful women. As a master of the Ukiyo-e school, Utamaro developed a distinct approach to portraiture, often elongating the figures and focusing on the subtle expressions of his subjects. This work, titled Elegant Pleasures: The Scent of Flowers, captures a scene of social interaction among women, likely set within a pleasure district or a domestic garden environment.
The composition features four women engaged in a quiet, shared activity. Utamaro uses fine, controlled lines to define the contours of the figures and the folds of their kimonos. The patterns on the garments are rendered with precision, providing a contrast to the more open, negative space of the background. The figures are arranged in a way that suggests a narrative connection, with one woman seated while others stand, creating a sense of depth and movement across the frame.
Utamaro was known for his ability to capture the psychological state of his subjects, moving away from the more generic representations common in earlier Ukiyo-e prints. His work often explored the nuances of daily life, fashion, and social customs in Edo-period Japan. The muted colour palette, typical of many surviving prints from this era, allows the viewer to focus on the grace of the poses and the composition of the group. This print is part of a larger series, reflecting the artist's interest in seasonal themes and the refined pastimes of the urban population. The attention to detail in the hairstyles and the textile designs provides insight into the aesthetic values of the time, documenting the sartorial choices of the period with clarity and technical skill.
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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.
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Specific Features
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- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
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- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
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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
Elegant Pleasures: The Scent of Flowers, 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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