Mother and Children at the New Year
Toyoharu, the founder of the Utagawa school, depicted women more often in paintings than in prints. The gentle elegance of his images of women is also seen in works by other artists of the late eighteenth century.
Here, a boy entertains his younger brother by hiding in the layers of their mother's kimono while she tries to hold onto the wriggling child. The playful, swirling movement of the three figures reflects the pleasant festivities of the New Year season, represented by the pine and bamboo decoration in the background.
Here, a boy entertains his younger brother by hiding in the layers of their mother's kimono while she tries to hold onto the wriggling child. The playful, swirling movement of the three figures reflects the pleasant festivities of the New Year season, represented by the pine and bamboo decoration in the background.
Artwork Details
- Title: Mother and Children at the New Year
- Artist: Utagawa Toyoharu (Japanese, 1735–1814)
- Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
- Date: 18th century
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
- Dimensions: 40 3/4 x 12 1/2 in. (103.5 x 31.8 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Charles Stewart Smith Collection, Gift of Mrs. Charles Stewart Smith, Charles Stewart Smith Jr., and Howard Caswell Smith, in memory of Charles Stewart Smith, 1914
- Object Number: 14.76.70f
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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Utagawa Toyoharu
Utagawa Toyoharu
Utagawa Toyoharu
Utagawa Toyoharu
ca. 1780
Utagawa Toyoharu
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