Battle of the Monkey and the Crab
1812
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
About the artist
1812
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Battle of the Monkey and the Crab is a 1812 paint by Utagawa Kuninao, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a monkey and a crab fighting. The story behind it is a Japanese folk tale where a crab seeks revenge against a monkey. The monkey tricks the crab into exchanging its rice ball for a persimmon seed, which the crab then plants and nurtures. Check out the work of Utagawa Kuninao to see more of this style.
The image is a colored front-cover design for a small printed book from late Edo-period Japan, depicting the folk tale "The Battle of the Monkey and the Crab." It shows the crab's child, accompanied by allies such as an octopus, a mortar, and a pestle, preparing to confront the monkey responsible for its parent's death. This preparatory drawing was made by a copyist from Utagawa Kuninao's original sketches, likely intended for woodblock carving before the design was abandoned. The sheet was purchased in 1910 from the Happer Collection sale at Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Your cart is empty
Explore artworks →
