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『画本虫撰』「けら」「はさみむし」|Mole Cricket (Kera); Earwig, (Hasami-mushi), from the Picture Book of Crawling Creatures (Ehon mushi erami)

Kitagawa Utamaro

1788

ink

paper

From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art

Romanticism Ukiyo-e 18th Century Still Life Flower Insect Leaf

Dominant colour

『画本虫撰』「けら」「はさみむし」|Mole Cricket (Kera); Earwig, (Hasami-mushi), from the Picture Book of Crawling Creatures (Ehon mushi erami) is a 1788 ink by Kitagawa Utamaro, a Romanticism work, depicting Flower, held at Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Kitagawa Utamaro
When & what style?: 1788 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Metropolitan Museum of Art

About this work

This image shows two detailed drawings of insects on a light background. On the left, a mole cricket with big ears and striped legs clings to a leaf. On the right, an earwig with a curved tail hides under a leaf, surrounded by delicate flowers and branches. The artist used soft colors and careful lines to make these small creatures look almost alive. The text around them is in Japanese, adding to the old-fashioned feel. If you like this style, check out Kitagawa Utamaro.