Description
In The Hour of the Ox, a woman stands alone in a long dark floral robe with a red collar and pale trailing inner garment, turning her head with a hand near the cheek. Sparse ground keeps attention on her elongated presence. Kitagawa Utamaro gives the hour of the ox, between one and three in the morning, a particular human encounter through the figure rather than an expansive nighttime setting.
Dating to around 1794, the woodblock print uses ink and color on paper. Its Edo-period subject turns an interval into a lasting scene, allowing the viewer to consider how time can shape the character of an encounter. The work’s interest lies in that particular temporal setting, without requiring a speculative story about the figures’ identities or an unsupported account of the activity associated with the hour.
Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Kitagawa Utamaro collection.
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