Description
Tree Cricket and Firefly places fine stems and insect forms on one side of Kitagawa Utamaro’s book spread, with a poem on the other. The tree cricket and firefly named in the title invite attention to creatures that might otherwise be overlooked among plants. The delicate vegetation gives their small presence a setting suited to close examination.
Published in 1788, the woodblock-printed page uses ink and color on paper. Its place within an illustrated book gives the creatures an intimate scale suited to attentive looking. Utamaro’s interest extends beyond the spectacular, allowing humble subjects to acquire their own character. The work’s appeal lies in that concentration: a familiar garden creature becomes something to consider individually, and the encounter with another alongside it makes difference as engaging as resemblance.
Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Kitagawa Utamaro collection.
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