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Catching Fireflies

Kitagawa Utamaro

1796

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Romanticism 18th Century Genre Scene

Dominant colour

Catching Fireflies is a 1796 by Kitagawa Utamaro, a Romanticism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Kitagawa Utamaro
When & what style?: 1796 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

The painting shows people catching fireflies near a stream. It's a fun scene with kids and a woman trying to catch the insects. The woman uses a fan to try and catch the fireflies, while a boy wades into the stream. You can learn more about this style by looking at the work of artist: Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, c. 1754–1806)

The story of this work

Overview

Caught up in a frenzied pursuit of fireflies, one boy has waded into a stream after his quarry, while a younger one watches in anticipation as a young woman thrusts her fan into the air in the hope of capturing hers. In the center of the composition, a girl examines the insects trapped in her elegantly carved cage.

Read the full account in the museum source.