Act VII from the series The Storehouse of Loyal Retainers - Kitagawa Utamaro
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Description
A classic ukiyo-e woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro, depicting a quiet, intimate scene from the kabuki play The Storehouse of Loyal Retainers.
This woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro depicts a scene from the seventh act of the famous kabuki play, Chushingura, or The Storehouse of Loyal Retainers. Utamaro, a master of the ukiyo-e genre, is particularly known for his ability to capture the psychological depth of his subjects. In this composition, he presents a domestic moment that contrasts with the broader narrative of samurai vengeance associated with the play. The print features a woman seated on a raised wooden platform, holding a fan, while a man sits below her, intently reading a long scroll. The inclusion of a small dog resting at the base of the platform adds a sense of quietude to the scene. Utamaro employs his characteristic elongated figures and delicate line work to define the forms of the characters, whose relaxed postures suggest a private, informal setting. The architectural elements of the platform provide a structured frame for the figures, guiding the viewer through the spatial arrangement of the print. Utamaro was a central figure in the development of the bijin-ga style, which focused on the depiction of beautiful women. Even when referencing dramatic theatrical narratives, he maintained a focus on the human element and the subtle interactions between his subjects. The colour palette is restrained, relying on soft tones that allow the focus to remain on the expressive gestures and the narrative tension implied by the scroll. This work demonstrates the technical precision of the Edo period printmaking process, where multiple woodblocks were used to layer colours and define the contours of the figures. The print serves as a window into the cultural life of the period, where kabuki theatre and its associated imagery were deeply integrated into the visual vocabulary of the urban population.
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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.
Act VII from the series The Storehouse of Loyal Retainers - 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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- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
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- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
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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
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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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