Creator story
Surprising fact
Utamaro pioneered the okubi-e — the large-headed close-up portrait — focusing on the face and expression of his beauties.
Source: Wikipedia / WikimediaUkiyo-e
Kitagawa Utamaro
Kitagawa Utamaro (c. 1753–1806) was the great master of the Japanese ukiyo-e portrait, celebrated above all for his sensitive, idealised images of beautiful women. His elegant bijin-ga defined the genre.
Utamaro's prints reached Europe and shaped the Japonisme that inspired the Impressionists.
- The master of bijin-ga, idealised portraits of beautiful women.
- Pioneered the large-head close-up print.
- His work helped ignite European Japonisme.
Key works
A key work by Kitagawa Utamaro
These works make it easiest to see how the artist changed form, content, and the very way art could exist in culture.
Three Beauties of the Present Day
Three Beauties of the Present Day is one of Kitagawa Utamaro's defining works.