Two Beauties
Kitagawa Utamaro Japanese
Not on view
Utamaro, the well-known ukiyo-e painter and printmaker, was a disciple of the Kano artist Toriyama Sekien (1712–1788). In this work, a well-dressed girl from a wealthy merchant family is contrasted with a seated woman wearing a simple cotton kimono that is open at the breast. In the Chinese-style couplet inscribed at the upper left by Ubu Kanjin, two butterflies stand in for the two beauties:
It is strange how a pair of butterflies
Come fluttering towards me, fly
away, then return.
Perhaps they wish to enter through
my gauze window.
It is as if a spring breeze is forcing
open the window
And filling the room with the spirit
of spring.
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.
