Hawk on a Plum Branch - Kitagawa Utamaro
Archival giclée
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Description
A refined woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro, featuring a hawk perched on a flowering plum branch, rendered with precise line work and a muted palette.
Kitagawa Utamaro is primarily recognised for his portraits of women, yet his work in the kacho-ga genre, or bird-and-flower painting, demonstrates a precise observational skill. This woodblock print depicts a hawk perched upon a gnarled plum branch. The composition balances the sharp, predatory focus of the bird with the delicate, linear quality of the flowering plum blossoms.
Utamaro employs a restrained palette, allowing the texture of the bird's plumage to take precedence. The feathers are rendered with fine, repetitive lines that suggest both volume and softness. In contrast, the plum branch is depicted with bolder, more expressive strokes, capturing the rough texture of the bark. The background remains largely unadorned, a common technique in Japanese printmaking to focus the viewer on the subject matter without distraction.
The hawk, a symbol of strength and vigilance in Japanese art, is positioned with a sense of quiet readiness. The plum blossoms, often associated with the arrival of spring and resilience, provide a counterpoint to the bird's stillness. This print reflects the technical mastery of the Edo period woodblock process, where the carver and printer worked in concert with the artist to achieve subtle gradations of ink and precise registration. The work serves as an example of how Utamaro applied his keen eye for human character to the natural world, treating the hawk with a similar level of individualised attention. The print is a study in contrast, balancing the organic curves of the flora against the structured, angular form of the raptor.
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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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We ship worldwide, printing at the production hub nearest to your delivery address. Delivery times and costs vary by destination — you'll see the options available to you at checkout.
Manufacturing
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
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
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
Hawk on a Plum Branch - 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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