Mother and her Children in Front of a Freestanding Screen of a Chinese Lion - Kitagawa Utamaro
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Description
A delicate woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro depicting a mother and her children before a decorative screen featuring a Chinese lion.
This woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro captures a domestic scene defined by the juxtaposition of human tenderness and mythical power. A mother and her two children occupy the foreground, their figures rendered with the graceful, elongated lines characteristic of Utamaro's mature style. They are positioned before a large, freestanding screen that dominates the composition. The screen depicts a Chinese lion, or shishi, a creature often associated with protection and strength in East Asian iconography. The contrast between the gentle interaction of the mother and children and the fierce, swirling mane of the lion creates a visual tension that is both balanced and engaging.
Utamaro, a master of the ukiyo-e genre, is widely recognised for his ability to convey psychological depth within his subjects. In this work, the figures are depicted in a quiet, intimate moment, their postures suggesting a sense of calm despite the imposing presence of the lion behind them. The print demonstrates the artist's technical precision, particularly in the fine linework used to define the children's robes and the mother's hair. The inclusion of a small table with a mirror and peacock feathers to the left adds a layer of domestic detail, grounding the scene in a specific, albeit stylised, interior setting.
The composition is notable for its use of negative space, which allows the viewer to focus on the interplay between the human subjects and the decorative screen. The print serves as an example of the sophisticated aesthetic prevalent in late eighteenth-century Japan, where everyday life was frequently elevated through artistic representation. By combining elements of the supernatural with the mundane, Utamaro invites the viewer to consider the protective nature of the family unit against the backdrop of traditional folklore. This museum-grade print preserves the subtle tonal variations of the original woodblock, ensuring the clarity of the artist's brushwork and the composition's overall harmony.
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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
Mother and her Children in Front of a Freestanding Screen of a Chinese Lion - 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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