Classic Utamaro Beauty Portrait. This charming bijin-ga or beauty print is, of course, a Utamaro masterwork. Without a doubt, Utamaro Japanese, c. His classic portraits of courtesans, geishas and teahouse waitresses are among the most sought after of all prints. In fact, many serious collectors consider Utamaro’s beauties to be the very soul of Ukiyo-e, the art of the Floating World. This is a classic Utamaro bijin-ga, or beauty portrait, of a young woman reading a letter she has just received. Light pinkish distressed mica background. It would be lovely displayed on your home or office wall. Utamaro’s masterworks are in the collections of many of the world’s great museums. Among them are the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the British Museum, London; the Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia; and the Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo. Kitagawa Utamaro Japanese, c. TITLE: Reading a Letter. Ten Classes of Women’s Physiognomy. MEDIUM: Authentic polychrome woodblock print. Ink and color on handmade paper. 15 1/8″ x 10 1/8″; (38,42 cm x 25,72 cm). CONDITION: Antique MEIJI era reprint. Wonderful sense of age. Lovely soft pink mica background. Marvelous color and wonderful detail. Slight remnants from previous folio mounting on top corners of verso. Please take a moment to examine the scans. The Uki Arts Gallery.
