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『画本虫撰』「虵」「とかけ」|Rat Snake (Hebi); Lizard or Skink (Tokage), 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 Lizard Plant Snak

Dominant colour

『画本虫撰』「虵」「とかけ」|Rat Snake (Hebi); Lizard or Skink (Tokage), from the Picture Book of Crawling Creatures (Ehon mushi erami) is a 1788 ink by Kitagawa Utamaro, a Romanticism work, depicting Lizard, 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 creatures in a grassy setting. On the left is a long, coiled snake with a patterned back. On the right is a lizard with a rough, spotted body, perched on a leafy plant. The background is filled with green leaves and stems, and there’s Japanese text running along the top and right side. The snake and lizard are drawn with fine detail, making their scales and textures stand out. This is part of a book page, not a standalone painting. If you like this, look up cross-hatching to see how artists create texture with lines.