UTAMARO I. Happy Togetherness for Umegawa and Chû
Kitagawa UTAMARO I.Early 1750s–1806Happy Togetherness for Umegawa and Chûbei (Umegawa Chûbei no kihan).Around 1800Polychrome woodcut. Oban:375x252 mm. The print is presented in the traditional form: glued on thickr paper and surrounded by a large frame in decorated ivory paper. At the bottom right the signature “Utamaro hitsu”. Under the publisher’s mark of Ômiya Gonkurô, Japanese Edo period about 1798–99 (Kansei 10–11). Good condition.
Further Details
Very rare print from the series Eight Pledges at Lovers' Meetings (Ômi hakkei). The two young lovers stroll and Chûbei protects Umegawa with an umbrella. Chûbei, aged 24, was a courier who stole money from a client to ransom his lover, the low-ranking courtesan Umegawa, aged 22. They fled and went into hiding, but were eventually captured and executed (or in some theatrical versions, they committed double suicide). See: Asano and Clark 1995, #294; Ukiyo-e shûka 3 (1978), list #312.2; Shibui, Ukiyo-e zuten Utamaro (1964), 161.1.2; Yoshida, Utamaro zenshû (1941), #408.
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Kitagawa UTAMARO I.Early 1750s–1806Happy Togetherness for Umegawa and Chûbei (Umegawa Chûbei no kihan).Around 1800Polychrome woodcut. Oban:375x252 mm. The print is presented in the traditional form: glued on thickr paper and surrounded by a large frame in decorated ivory paper. At the bottom right the signature “Utamaro hitsu”. Under the publisher’s mark of Ômiya Gonkurô, Japanese Edo period about 1798–99 (Kansei 10–11). Good condition.
Further Details
Very rare print from the series Eight Pledges at Lovers' Meetings (Ômi hakkei). The two young lovers stroll and Chûbei protects Umegawa with an umbrella. Chûbei, aged 24, was a courier who stole money from a client to ransom his lover, the low-ranking courtesan Umegawa, aged 22. They fled and went into hiding, but were eventually captured and executed (or in some theatrical versions, they committed double suicide). See: Asano and Clark 1995, #294; Ukiyo-e shûka 3 (1978), list #312.2; Shibui, Ukiyo-e zuten Utamaro (1964), 161.1.2; Yoshida, Utamaro zenshû (1941), #408.
