KITAGAWA UTAMARO: FISHING AT IWAYA, ENOSHIMA By... Lot 333

KITAGAWA UTAMARO: FISHING AT IWAYA, ENOSHIMA By Kitagawa Utamaro (1754-1806), signed Utamaro ga Japan, c. 1790 Color woodblock print on paper. Vertical oban. One sheet of a triptych. Signed Utamaro ga; publisher Fushimiya Zenroku. Title Fishing at Iwaya, Enoshima. SIZE of the sheet 36.2 x 24 cm Condition: Good condition with old wear, some browning, tiny losses along the outer edges, minor mounting residue to the back. Kitagawa Utamaro (1754-1806) is one of the most highly regarded designers of ukiyo-e woodblock prints and paintings and is best known for his bijin okubi-e (large-headed pictures of beautiful women) of the 1790s. He also produced nature studies, particularly illustrated books of insects. Little is known of Utamaro's life. His work began to appear in the 1770s, and he rose to prominence in the early 1790s with his portraits of beauties with exaggerated, elongated features. He produced over 2000 known prints and was one of the few ukiyo-e artists to achieve fame throughout Japan in his lifetime. Museum comparison: Compare a closely related print in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum, accession number 48.123.3.