Who painted 喜多川歌麿画琴棋書画|The Four Accomplishments (Kinkishoga)?

喜多川歌麿画琴棋書画|The Four Accomplishments (Kinkishoga) was painted by Kitagawa Utamaro in 1789.

Where can I see 喜多川歌麿画琴棋書画|The Four Accomplishments (Kinkishoga)?

喜多川歌麿画琴棋書画|The Four Accomplishments (Kinkishoga) is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is 喜多川歌麿画琴棋書画|The Four Accomplishments (Kinkishoga)?

喜多川歌麿画琴棋書画|The Four Accomplishments (Kinkishoga) is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

喜多川歌麿画琴棋書画|The Four Accomplishments (Kinkishoga)

Kitagawa Utamaro , 1789

喜多川歌麿画琴棋書画|The Four Accomplishments (Kinkishoga) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Kitagawa Utamaro. It dates from 1789 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work, titled The Four Accomplishments (Kinkishoga), is a three‑panel woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamō, executed around 1789.

About this work

Overview

The work, titled The Four Accomplishments (Kinkishoga), is a three‑panel woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamō, executed around 1789. Produced with ink and color on paper, the triptych presents a quiet domestic scene rendered in the ukiyo‑e genre. The print is part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Subject & Meaning

The panels depict women engaged in everyday activities typical of the so‑called "four accomplishments" of cultured refinement: music, board games, calligraphy and painting. In the left panel, figures gather around a low table, some holding brushes or fans; the central panel shows a woman in a vivid orange garment standing outdoors while others work nearby; the right panel features a woman inside a room with a child playing on the floor and another figure glimpsed through a window.

Technique & Style

Utamō employed the traditional ukiyo‑e woodblock process, layering multiple color blocks to achieve soft, muted tones. Fine cross‑hatching of ink lines adds subtle shading to garments and interior spaces, creating a sense of depth without overt contrast. The overall palette is restrained, emphasizing the calm, orderly rhythm of the domestic tasks.

History & Provenance

Created in the late eighteenth century, the print reflects the popularity of genre scenes that idealized refined leisure among urban women. It entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection through a 20th‑century acquisition, where it remains on display as an example of Utamō's later work and of the broader cultural interest in the "four accomplishments" during the Edo period.