Souvenir Paintings from Ōtsu, Stocked in Edo (Edo shi-ire Ōtsu miyage) Foot-soldier with a Spear and Hawk-handler (Yari mochi yakko to taka shō)

Description

A tall elegantly dressed woman stands at the right beside a smaller comic foot soldier with a red face in Kitagawa Utamaro’s print. The contrast in scale and bearing gives the pairing its lively character. A spear joins the scene’s distinctive forms, linking the represented figures to the foot soldier and hawk-handler motifs named in the title.

Made around 1802–3, the woodblock print belongs to Souvenir Paintings of Ōtsu Stocked in Edo and uses ink and color on paper. Utamaro brings differently characterized figures into one encounter, allowing grace and humor to coexist. The image’s interest lies in that meeting rather than a uniform treatment of its participants. Contrasting bodily presence and clothing make comparison part of the pleasure, giving the scene a playful variety within its tall format.

Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Kitagawa Utamaro collection.