1837
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Mendicant Monk in Katsushika and Others is a 1837 paint by Utagawa (Gountei) Sadahide, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
You see a monk with two faces—one on the front, one on the back—drawn as a single outline on paper. The lines are crisp, and the figure looks like it could be cut out and folded. This wasn’t just art; it was a toy. People would glue two copies back-to-back to make a little monster puppet. Because of that, almost none of these prints survived. The sheet is rare, and the playful idea behind it makes it stand out. If you like this, check out more at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
This is a finished print design featuring multiple monsters depicted in pairs from opposite sides, each pair sharing the same reversed outline. The sheet includes an example at the top showing two versions of a mendicant monk from Katsushika in Edo (modern Tokyo), illustrated with an exaggeratedly large head and animal legs. Such prints were designed for cutting out, folding, and playing with the figures, making surviving examples rare. The playful, humorous approach aligns with the Japanese concept of *bakemono*, meaning "things that change."
Read the full account in the museum source.
Utagawa Sadahide , also known as Gountei Sadahide, was a Japanese artist best known for his prints in the ukiyo-e style as a member of the Utagawa school.
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
