Fine Art Poster
From $29
A giclée print on 200gsm matte fine art paper, using a twelve-colour process for accurate, fade-resistant colour. Supplied unframed, delivered flat or rolled.
Act IV, from Treasury of the Loyal Retainers - Kitagawa Utamaro
Regular price
$29.00 USD
Sale price
$29.00 USD
Regular price
Archival giclée
Frames arrive ready to hang
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Made to order
Description
A refined ukiyo-e woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro, depicting a domestic scene from the classic kabuki play, The Treasury of the Loyal Retainers.
This woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro belongs to a series depicting scenes from the famous kabuki play, Chushingura, or The Treasury of the Loyal Retainers. Utamaro, a master of the ukiyo-e genre, is recognised for his ability to capture the grace and psychological depth of his subjects. In this composition, he presents a domestic scene that contrasts with the dramatic narrative of the original play. The figures are rendered with the artist's characteristic elongated proportions and refined facial features, which became a hallmark of his bijin-ga, or pictures of beautiful women.
The print employs a sophisticated use of space, incorporating an inset panel at the top right that provides a secondary narrative layer. The primary figures are engaged in the arrangement of plants, a task requiring focus and precision. Their kimonos are decorated with subtle patterns, rendered with fine lines that demonstrate the technical skill of the woodblock carver and printer. The colour palette remains restrained, relying on soft earth tones, muted greens, and blacks to create a sense of harmony.
Utamaro was active during the Edo period, a time when the floating world culture flourished in Japan. His work often focused on the inhabitants of the pleasure districts, yet here he adapts his style to a historical theatrical theme. The composition balances the standing figure, who carries a tray with fans, against the two kneeling women attending to the floral display. This arrangement guides the viewer through the scene, from the standing woman's elegant posture to the focused interaction of the women below. The print offers a glimpse into the aesthetic values of the period, where daily activities were elevated through artistic representation and careful attention to detail.
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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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We ship worldwide, printing at the production hub nearest to your delivery address. Delivery times and costs vary by destination — you'll see the options available to you at checkout.
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
Complete The Look
Act IV, from Treasury of the Loyal Retainers - Kitagawa Utamaro
Regular price
From $29.00 USD
Sale price
From $29.00 USD
Regular price
Fine Art Poster / A4 (21x29.7 cm) / -
Artist Biography
Kitagawa Utamaro
Utamaro was arrested in 1804 for making prints depicting the sixteenth-century military ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He was manacled for fifty days. He died two years later, at roughly fifty-three. The connection between the punishment and the death is debated, but the timing suggests something broke.
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.
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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Fine Art Framed
From $89
The same fine art print in a solid wood frame with UV-protective acrylic glaze and rigid backing. Five frame colours. Arrives ready to hang.
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