Description
Women and a child gather along a riverbank beneath dark sky and trees, raising fans or nets while catching fireflies. The wide composition gives their varied gestures a shared nighttime setting. Kitagawa Utamaro connects human activity with something fleeting and small, making the pursuit of fireflies a scene of attention as well as a seasonal pastime.
The work dates to around 1796–97 and is catalogued as a triptych of woodblock prints in ink and color on paper. Its multi-sheet format belongs to the composition’s design and should be distinguished from any separate panel. The image gives a transient activity a lasting visual presence, allowing the interest of seeking fireflies to remain available long after the occasion itself has passed.





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