Description
Kitagawa Utamaro joins a boating party with children swimming near the vessel. Two women and a standing poleman occupy the boat, which rises diagonally through the composition toward the right. The swimmers appear low in the water, while more distant boats extend the view. Different levels and directions connect the passengers’ enclosed space with the open setting around them.
Dating to the late eighteenth century, the work is a diptych of ink-and-color woodblock prints. Its paired format allows the boat and surrounding water to participate in one broad scene. Utamaro sets leisurely company alongside the more active movements of the swimmers, giving variety to a shared outdoor occasion. The diagonal vessel provides a firm structure within the open water, guiding attention between the nearer figures and the smaller craft beyond.
Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Kitagawa Utamaro collection.
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