Description
A courtesan sits in flowing cream and red robes beside a hanging lantern-like ornament in Kitagawa Utamaro’s print. Her seated body gives the long garments a different rhythm from an upright formal portrait. The nearby suspended form adds another point of attention, allowing the human figure and her immediate setting to share the image’s interest.
The woodblock print was made with ink and color on paper. Utamaro’s choice of subject allows familiar social life to become the material of sustained looking, giving the figure a lasting presence beyond an ordinary encounter. The work’s interest lies in the relation between individual appearance and a recognizable role. Its appeal comes from that concentration, where one represented person is enough to carry the image’s human character.
Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Kitagawa Utamaro collection.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.