Who painted 児戯意乃三笑恵恩芳子|Mother and Child?

児戯意乃三笑恵恩芳子|Mother and Child was painted by Kitagawa Utamaro in 1800.

Where can I see 児戯意乃三笑恵恩芳子|Mother and Child?

児戯意乃三笑恵恩芳子|Mother and Child is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is 児戯意乃三笑恵恩芳子|Mother and Child?

児戯意乃三笑恵恩芳子|Mother and Child is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

児戯意乃三笑恵恩芳子|Mother and Child

Kitagawa Utamaro , 1800

児戯意乃三笑恵恩芳子|Mother and Child is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Kitagawa Utamaro. It dates from 1800 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The artwork depicts a domestic genre scene featuring a mother, a child, and a dog, set within a moment of familial interaction.

The artwork depicts a domestic genre scene featuring a mother, a child, and a dog, set within a moment of familial interaction. The composition includes a mirror image, which reflects the figures and adds a layer of visual complexity to the narrative. As a work of kodomo-e, the print focuses on the theme of childhood and maternal care, capturing the playful atmosphere suggested by the title's reference to laughter and play.

The inclusion of the dog and the specific arrangement of the figures highlight the intimate, everyday nature of the subject matter typical of Utamaro's ukiyo-e style.

Technique & Style

The work is a woodblock print executed in ink and color on paper, measuring 36.4 cm in height and 24.3 cm in width. It depicts a mother and child alongside a dog and a mirror image, rendered in the ukiyo-e genre of Japanese color prints. The print is part of the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum.

History & Provenance

Created in 1800 by the ukiyo-e artist Kitagawa Utamaro, this work is a woodblock print featuring ink and color on paper. The piece, which depicts a mother, child, dog, and mirror image, measures 36.4 cm in height and 24.3 cm in width. Historical records associate the artwork with the collections of both the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum.

While specific details regarding its original commission or a complete chain of ownership are not provided in the available documentation, its inception date and current institutional holdings are established.

Overview

Mother and Child, a woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro (c. 1800), presents an intimate domestic scene. A kneeling woman, with a child clinging to her back, interacts with a small dog tugging at her sleeve, conveying a sense of everyday life.

Context

Part of a broader trend in late 18th-century Japanese art, the piece emphasizes the beauty in everyday domestic life, diverging from more common subjects like mythology or warfare.

Legacy

Mother and Child exemplifies Utamaro's influence in portraying the intimacy of family life through ukiyo-e. It invites viewers to appreciate the serene beauty of ordinary maternal moments, encouraging exploration of similar themes in his oeuvre.