Hitomoto of the Daimonjiya with Attendants Senkaku and Banki - Kitagawa Utamaro
Archival giclée
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Description
A classic Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro, featuring the elegant courtesan Hitomoto of the Daimonjiya.
This woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro depicts Hitomoto, a high-ranking courtesan from the Daimonjiya house in the Yoshiwara district. Utamaro was a master of the bijin-ga genre, which focused on the portrayal of beautiful women. He is particularly recognised for his okubi-e, or large-headed portraits, which allowed for a more intimate examination of the subject's features and expression.
In this composition, the artist employs a delicate line quality to define the subject's face, neck, and elaborate hairstyle. The courtesan is adorned with numerous hairpins, a marker of her status within the pleasure quarters. Her expression is composed and serene, reflecting the idealised beauty standards of the Edo period. The use of colour is restrained, focusing on the soft pinks and patterns of her kimono, which contrast with the neutral background. The inclusion of calligraphic text in the upper left corner provides context regarding the subject and her attendants, Senkaku and Banki, who are often associated with her in this series.
Utamaro's work captures the fashion and aesthetic sensibilities of late eighteenth-century Japan. By focusing on the individual rather than a generic type, he brought a sense of humanity to his subjects. The print demonstrates the technical skill of the carvers and printers who worked alongside the artist to produce these images. The flat composition and emphasis on line are characteristic of the Ukiyo-e tradition, where the focus remains on the graphic quality of the image rather than the illusion of three-dimensional space. This print remains a clear example of the artist's ability to balance decorative elements with a refined sense of portraiture.
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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
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
Hitomoto of the Daimonjiya with Attendants Senkaku and Banki - 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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