Description
Land Snail and Giant Katydid pairs a long-horned insect and a snail with a dark rounded fruit or gourd in Kitagawa Utamaro’s book image. Poems occupy the open space at the right. The land snail and giant katydid named in the title become part of an encounter between different small bodies, plant forms and the accompanying written voices.
Published in 1788, the woodblock-printed page was made in ink and color on paper. The book offers a setting in which modest creatures can be looked at with the care usually reserved for more imposing subjects. Utamaro’s appeal lies in that generosity of attention. The pairing invites consideration of difference within a shared environment, making a small part of everyday nature feel distinctive, varied and worthy of a closer, slower look.
Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Kitagawa Utamaro collection.
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