Collection: Artist: Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806)

Kitagawa Utamaro (ca. 1753–1806) was a Japanese artist and one of the best known exponents of ukiyo-e , a genre of Japanese woodblock print art depicting scenes from everyday life. He is particularly famous for his depictions of beautiful women known as bijin-ga . Utamaro was a master at capturing female elegance, beauty and delicacy, and his works were characterized by subtle detail and an exceptional use of line.

Utamaro worked in Edo (modern-day Tokyo) and enjoyed great success in the 1790s. His works brought a new perspective to the depiction of women, capturing not only their external beauty but also emotions and different personality types. His series "Ten Types of Female Physiognomies" is an outstanding example of his ability to depict different moods and character traits.

In addition to portraits of women, Utamaro also illustrated natural subjects such as flowers and birds. His influence reached far beyond Japan and later inspired Western artists, particularly during the Japonisme movement in the 19th century.

Despite his fame, he fell from grace towards the end of his life and died in 1806. Nevertheless, Utamaro remains an iconic figure in the history of Japanese art to this day.