The Ninth Month (Kugatsu) - Kitagawa Utamaro
Archival giclée
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Description
A refined ukiyo-e woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro, capturing a quiet domestic scene of two women separated by a shoji screen.
This woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro depicts a scene from the ninth month of the lunar calendar. It belongs to a series exploring the twelve months through genre scenes accompanied by kyoka, or comic verse. Utamaro, a master of the ukiyo-e tradition, focuses here on the interplay between light, shadow, and domestic activity.
The composition is divided by a shoji screen, which acts as a filter for the figures. On one side, a woman is visible in silhouette, her form cast against the translucent paper. On the other side, a second woman kneels on the tatami mat, her posture suggesting a moment of quiet observation or anticipation. A shamisen lies on the floor nearby, hinting at musical practice or leisure. The inclusion of pampas grass in a vase provides a seasonal marker for the autumn month.
Utamaro uses a restrained palette, allowing the clean lines of the architecture and the soft tones of the garments to define the space. The print demonstrates his ability to capture human gesture and the atmosphere of interior life. The kyoka poems inscribed at the top of the sheet integrate text and image, a common practice in high-quality surimono and series prints of the period. This work offers a glimpse into the aesthetic sensibilities of Edo-period Japan, where the mundane activities of daily life were elevated through careful artistic observation. The balance between the solid figures and the ghostly shadow behind the screen creates a sense of depth and narrative mystery, inviting the viewer to consider the relationship between the two subjects.
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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 Ninth Month (Kugatsu) - 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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