Mother and Children at the New Year

Utagawa Toyoharu Japanese

Not on view

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.

Mother and Children at the New Year, Utagawa Toyoharu (Japanese, 1735–1814), Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, Japan

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Mother and Children at the New Year, Utagawa Toyoharu (Japanese, 1735–1814), Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, Japan
Mother and Children at the New Year, Utagawa Toyoharu (Japanese, 1735–1814), Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, Japan

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