Antique Six Houses of the Yoshiwara Kansei Period Japanese Woodblock Print, Framed

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Kitagawa Utamaro is one of the most renowned ukiyo-e printmakers of Edo-era Japan. He became famous during his lifetime for … Read more Kitagawa Utamaro is one of the most renowned ukiyo-e printmakers of Edo-era Japan. He became famous during his lifetime for his bijin-ga woodblock prints of elegant women; his delicate linework and masterful use of color would influence the French Impressionists and contribute to the spread of Japonisme in Europe in the 19th century. A prolific artist, Utamaro is believed to have produced more than two thousand prints, examples of which have fetched six figures at auction: The artist’s work Fukako Shinobu Koi (Deeply Hidden Love, 1793-94) sold for $841,000 in 2016, setting a world record for the ukiyo-e genre. Utamaro rose to prominence in the 1790s when he began making portraits of women; his subjects ranged from courtesans to mothers with children. He also created nature studies and erotic shunga prints that were subsequently published as books. Utamaro’s works can be found in international collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. See less