In the Kitchen - Kitagawa Utamaro
Archival giclée
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Description
A classic Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro depicting two women at work in a kitchen, rendered with elegant lines and a muted colour palette.
Kitagawa Utamaro, a master of the Ukiyo-e genre, produced this woodblock print during the late eighteenth century. The composition depicts two women engaged in domestic labour, a subject that allowed the artist to explore the daily lives of common people rather than the typical focus on courtesans or kabuki actors.
The foreground figure, wearing a headcloth, tends to a small stove with a pipe in her mouth, her posture suggesting a moment of quiet concentration. Behind her, a second woman holds a small bowl, her gaze directed toward the cooking process. The steam rising from the stove adds a sense of movement to the otherwise static scene. Utamaro employs his characteristic elongated facial features and elegant line work to define the figures, while the muted colour palette of ochre, soft green, and red provides a balanced visual harmony.
This print demonstrates the technical precision of the Edo period woodblock process. The artist uses flat planes of colour to define the clothing patterns and the structure of the kitchen equipment, avoiding unnecessary perspective to maintain a decorative quality. The work belongs to a broader series of genre prints that captured the atmosphere of urban life in Japan. By focusing on the mundane actions of preparing food, Utamaro provides a glimpse into the domestic environment of the era. The print remains a clear example of the artist's ability to elevate everyday activities through refined composition and controlled use of line. It is a representative piece of the Ukiyo-e tradition, showing the shift toward more naturalistic portrayals of women in various social settings.
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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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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
In the Kitchen - 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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