Original and Framed Shunga Prints by Kitagawa Utamaro

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Original and Framed Shunga Prints by Kitagawa Utamaro

About the Item

Shunga was heavily influenced by illustrations in Chinese medicine manuals beginning in the Muromachi era (1336 to 1573). Zhou Fang, a great Tang-dynasty Chinese erotic painter, is also thought to have been influential. He, like many erotic artists of his time and place, tended to exaggerate the size of the genital organs, a common shunga topos. While the literal meaning of the word "shunga" is significant, it is in fact a contraction of shunkyu-higi-ga (?????), the Japanese pronunciation for Chinese sets of twelve scrolls depicting the twelve sexual acts that the crown prince had to carry out as an expression of yin yang. Kitagawa Utamaro 1757-1806 (Japanese: circa 1753-31 October 1806) was a Japanese artist. He is one of the most highly regarded designers of ukiyo-e woodblock prints and paintings, and is best known for his bijinokubi-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. In 1804 he was arrested and manacled for fifty days for making illegal prints made depicting the 16th century military ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and died two years later. Utamaro's work reached Europe in the mid-19th century, where it was very popular, enjoying particular acclaim in France. He influenced the European Impressionists, particularly with his use of partial views and his emphasis on light and shade, which they imitated. The reference to the "Japanese influence" among these artists often refers to the work of Utamaro.

Dimensions:
Height: 11.82 in (30 cm)Width: 11.82 in (30 cm)Depth: 1.97 in (5 cm)
Place of Origin:
Japan
Period:
19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
Unknown
Condition:
Seller Location:
Melbourne, AU
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU220138271333