Japanese Print "A Fishing Excursion" by Kitagawa Utamaro
Artist:Kitagawa Utamaro
Title:A Fishing Excursion
Date:about 1798
Details:More information...
Source:Worcester Art Museum
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Description:
Fishing was a popular pastime for youth in Edo period Japan. Here, Utamaro I conveys a sense of riotous fun through each figure’s body language and the disruption of the water around the boats. Although the artist clearly applies standardized archetypes of beauty, the figures have their own individualized presence, and are engaged in a variety of activities ranging from casting lines, to prodding the water with hamachi rods, to peering into depths of the river. Details such as the fish still on the hook, the disheveled robes, and the woman covering her mouth with the back of her hand while she laughs, give the viewer the impression that Utamaro I was capturing a single, real moment in time.
