The Fourth Month (Shigatsu) - Kitagawa Utamaro
Archival giclée
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Description
A delicate woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro depicting a domestic scene for the fourth month, complete with traditional kyoka poetry.
This woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro depicts a domestic scene associated with the fourth month of the lunar calendar. The composition features a woman holding a child, while a man performs a playful gesture nearby. Between them sits a small, ornate shrine or decorative object, likely related to the seasonal festivities of the period. The inclusion of kyoka poems, a form of lighthearted or satirical verse, integrates literary culture with visual art, a common practice in Edo-period print culture.
Utamaro is recognised for his ability to capture human emotion and social interaction with economy of line. His figures possess a distinct grace, and the use of negative space allows the viewer to focus on the interaction between the subjects. The colour palette is restrained, relying on soft tones that complement the paper texture rather than overwhelming the composition. The woman wears a kimono with a geometric pattern, which contrasts with the more fluid, informal attire of the man.
As a master of the Ukiyo-e tradition, Utamaro often focused on the lives of ordinary people, moving away from the strictly idealised portraits of courtesans that dominated much of the genre. This print offers a glimpse into the private sphere, where the domestic and the poetic intersect. The work is a fine example of the collaborative nature of print production in eighteenth-century Japan, where artists, poets, and publishers worked in concert to produce works for a growing urban audience. The print reflects the cultural interests of the time, where seasonal observations were frequently celebrated through both visual and written media.
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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
The Fourth Month (Shigatsu) - 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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