Ichikawa Monosuke II

ca. 1790

Not on view

Utamaro's fundamental curiosity about women was not limited to any one group or activity. In this print, he shows us women working in silk production, an important occupation for women and an important part of the Edo economy. Its composition reads more like a tableau vivant, with the workers merely suggesting their activities.

The inscription in the cloud-band tells us about the procedures. The mood is sensual, and the selective use of color in Utamaro's refined version of labor is delicate and idealized. The workers' robes are in shades of violet, blue, green, yellow, and pale gray.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: Ichikawa Monosuke II
Artist: Katsukawa Shun'ei 勝川春英 (Japanese, 1762–1819)
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: ca. 1790
Culture: Japan
Medium: Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions: 12 3/8 x 5 1/2 in. (31.4 x 14 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: The Howard Mansfield Collection, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1936
Object Number: JP2713
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

By Katsukawa Shun'ei 勝川春英

In the same medium

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An Unidentified Actor as a Farmer with a Basket on His Back, Katsukawa Shun'ei 勝川春英 Japanese, Triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper, Japan — An Unidentified Actor as a Farmer with a Basket on His Back
Katsukawa Shun'ei 勝川春英
ca. 1793

The Fourth Matsumoto Koshiro as a Man Walking under an Umbrella, Katsukawa Shun'ei 勝川春英 Japanese, Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Japan — The Fourth Matsumoto Koshiro as a Man Walking under an Umbrella
Katsukawa Shun'ei 勝川春英
ca. 1796

The Actor Ichikawa Komazo Second with Raised Sword, Katsukawa Shun'ei 勝川春英 Japanese, Diptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper, Japan — The Actor Ichikawa Komazo Second with Raised Sword
Katsukawa Shun'ei 勝川春英
ca. 1793

The Actor Morita Kanya Wearing One Sword, Katsukawa Shun'ei 勝川春英 Japanese, Diptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper, Japan — The Actor Morita Kanya Wearing One Sword
Katsukawa Shun'ei 勝川春英
ca. 1792

The Fourth Iwai Hanshiro as a Woman Standing Beneath a Cherry Tree, Katsukawa Shun'ei 勝川春英 Japanese, Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Japan — The Fourth Iwai Hanshiro as a Woman Standing Beneath a Cherry Tree
Katsukawa Shun'ei 勝川春英
ca. 1792?

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