Porträtt av Utamaro

The 100 Most Famous Utamaro Paintings, Each One of a Kind

Uppdaterad oktober 2026 · rangordnad efter vår popularitetspoäng (sökningar, besök och beställningar för varje verk) · 135 verk av Utamaro i vår katalog

In short

Courtesan or Kneeling Lady with Fan from the series Seasonal Poems Composed by Famous Women (1790) is the Utamaro painting that draws the most eyes; the original belongs to the Hill-Stead Museum, Farmington. After it, the eye goes to Two Beauties (1802) and Drying clothes (1790). Among the 135 works of Utamaro in our catalog, these 100 are the most famous, each a unique original presented with its year, its museum and the reason it endures.

1753 – 1806, Kawagoe Ukiyo-e Flest verk: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Top 10 paintings by Utamaro, through the gallery's eye

1
Courtesan or Kneeling Lady with Fan from the series Seasonal Poems Composed by Famous Women (1790) av Utamaro

Courtesan or Kneeling Lady with Fan from the series Seasonal Poems Composed by Famous Women

1790 · Woodblock Print · Hill-Stead Museum, Farmington

In the delicate interplay of line and shadow, Kitagawa Utamaro’s Courtesan or Kneeling Lady with Fan emerges as a breathtaking window into the refined world of late 18th-century Japan. Part of his celebrated series, Seasonal Poems Composed by Famous Women, this masterpiece captures a moment of quiet introspection and poised grace. The subject, likely a woman of high social standing or a celebrated courtesan, is depicted in a kneeling posture…

2
Two Beauties (1802) av Utamaro

Two Beauties

1802 · Woodblock Print · Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Step closer to observe the delicate balance held within this vertical composition. Two women are positioned with a graceful, asymmetrical poise, one standing while the other kneels in a moment of shared stillness. The scene is set against a minimalist background that allows the focus to remain entirely on their refined forms. There is a subtle movement suggested by the way the figures are placed, creating a sense of natural,…

3
Drying clothes (1790) av Utamaro

Drying clothes

1790 · Woodblock Print · Chester Beatty Library, Dublin

A summer breeze carries the quiet rhythms of Edo through the triptych color woodblock print titled Drying clothes. Created by the artist Kitagawa Utamaro, this work captures a fleeting moment of domesticity in Japan. Around 1790, the scene emerges from the hands of master craftsmen in Edo, which is modern Tokyo. The print, published by Iwatoya Kisaburō, invites the viewer to look upon a rooftop platform where the mundane becomes…

4
Standing Prostitute av Utamaro

Standing Prostitute

Ink · Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis

A single figure occupies the space, a woman caught in a moment of stillness. She is rendered in the ukiyo-e tradition, her form defined by the decisive sweep of black ink. The lines of her kimono are not merely outlines but rhythmic gestures that suggest the weight and movement of heavy silk. A muted red or orange traces the patterns of her garment, a quiet pulse of color against the…

5
Toji san bijin (Three Beauties of the Present Day)From Bijin-ga (Pictures of Beautiful Women), published by Tsutaya Juzaburo (1793) av Utamaro

Toji san bijin (Three Beauties of the Present Day)From Bijin-ga (Pictures of Beautiful Women), published by Tsutaya Juzaburo

1793 · Woodblock Print · Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo

Kitagawa Utamaro's "Toji San Bijin" – literally, “Three Beauties of the Present Day” – is more than just a woodblock print; it’s a captivating glimpse into the vibrant and complex world of Edo-period Japan. Created in 1793, this iconic image transcends its simple subject matter to become a profound meditation on beauty, social status, and the fleeting nature of pleasure. The piece, now housed within the Toledo Museum of Art,…

6
Untitled [Uwaki no sō (The Fickle OneThe Fickle One)] av Utamaro

Untitled [Uwaki no sō (The Fickle OneThe Fickle One)]

Woodblock Print · Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, Bilbao

In the quietude of the Edo period, Kitagawa Utamaro captured a singular presence in "Untitled [Uwaki no sō (The Fickle OneThe Fickle One)]". Produced about 1792–93, this woodblock print presents a woman whose identity remains poised between the roles of a geisha and a noblewoman. She exists within a space of stillness, her gaze meeting the viewer with a composed, steady clarity. The subject is a study of a specific…

7
A Flirt, from the series Ten Studies in Female Physiognomy (Fujin sogaku juttai) av Utamaro

A Flirt, from the series Ten Studies in Female Physiognomy (Fujin sogaku juttai)

Woodblock Print · Asia Society Museum, New York

A Flirt, from the series Ten Studies in Female Physiognomy (Fujin sogaku juttai), emerges from the bustling urban life of the Edo period. This woodblock print, also recognized as part of the Ten Physiognomatic Aspects of Women, captures a fleeting moment of human character. The artist, Kitagawa Utamaro, focuses his attention on the subtle nuances of a single subject, moving away from the crowded scenes common to earlier eras. He…

8
Hyōgorō / Hinakoto (The Courtesan Hinakoto of the House of Hyōgo) av Utamaro

Hyōgorō / Hinakoto (The Courtesan Hinakoto of the House of Hyōgo)

Woodblock Print · Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, Bilbao

Kitagawa Utamaro's “Hyōgorō / Hinakoto (The Courtesan Hinakoto of the House of Hyōgo)” is more than just a woodblock print; it’s a window into the vibrant, complex world of Edo period Japan. Created around 1795, this exquisite *bijin-ga* – a genre dedicated to depicting beautiful women – stands as a testament to Utamaro's unparalleled skill in capturing not only physical beauty but also an elusive sense of inner grace and…

Utamaro's famous paintings, numbers 11 to 100

11Portrait of Naniwaya Okita (1793) av UtamaroPortrait of Naniwaya Okita1793 12Woman Making a Flower Arrangement (1802) av UtamaroWoman Making a Flower Arrangement1802 · Minneapolis Institute of Art 13Seated Beauty (1801) av UtamaroSeated Beauty1801 · Harvard Art Museums 14Portrait of Naniwaya Okita (1796) av UtamaroPortrait of Naniwaya Okita1796 15Large Head and Bust Portrait of Beauty (1797) av UtamaroLarge Head and Bust Portrait of Beauty1797 16courtesan writing a letter (1800) av Utamarocourtesan writing a letter1800 17Male Couple (1802) av UtamaroMale Couple1802 18The Woman Onion Vendor Who Proclaimed Herself a Wife (Tsuma tsugeru negi-uri onna) (1798) av UtamaroThe Woman Onion Vendor Who Proclaimed Herself a Wife (Tsuma tsugeru negi-uri onna)1798 19Standing Prostitute and Kamuro (1805) av UtamaroStanding Prostitute and Kamuro1805 · Minneapolis Institute of Art 20Courtesan in Procession (1868) av UtamaroCourtesan in Procession1868 · University of Michigan Museum of Art 21Along the Shore of Yènoshim (1793) av UtamaroAlong the Shore of Yènoshim1793 · Brooklyn Museum 22Woman with a Mirror av UtamaroWoman with a Mirror 23Courtesans Strolling Beneath Cherry Trees Before the Daiko (1789) av UtamaroCourtesans Strolling Beneath Cherry Trees Before the Daiko1789 · Brooklyn Museum 24Washing Clothes (1795) av UtamaroWashing Clothes1795 25Awabi divers (1788) av UtamaroAwabi divers1788 26woman smoking (1790) av Utamarowoman smoking1790 27beauty at toilet (1790) av Utamarobeauty at toilet1790 28women making dresses (1790) av Utamarowomen making dresses1790 29secret love (1790) av Utamarosecret love1790 30pensive love (1790) av Utamaropensive love1790 31the courtesan kisegawa of the matsubaya (1795) av Utamarothe courtesan kisegawa of the matsubaya1795 32Hour of the Snake (1794) av UtamaroHour of the Snake1794 33locust red dragonfly pinks chinese bell flowers (1788) av Utamarolocust red dragonfly pinks chinese bell flowers1788 34Courtesan`s Entourage at New Year`s Festival (1788) av UtamaroCourtesan`s Entourage at New Year`s Festival1788 35Oiran Hanaogi (1794) av UtamaroOiran Hanaogi1794 36A scene from the 'Poem of the Pillow' (1788) av UtamaroA scene from the 'Poem of the Pillow'1788 37Three Beauties of the Present Day (1793) av UtamaroThree Beauties of the Present Day1793 38Two Geisha (1700) av UtamaroTwo Geisha1700 · Hill-Stead Museum 39Miscellaneous Paintings and Calligraphy (1801) av UtamaroMiscellaneous Paintings and Calligraphy1801 · Metropolitan Museum of Art 40Amorous Couple (1803) av UtamaroAmorous Couple1803 41Amorous Couple (1803) av UtamaroAmorous Couple1803 42Woman and Child (1803) av UtamaroWoman and Child1803 43women gathering for tooth-blackening ceremony (1803) av Utamarowomen gathering for tooth-blackening ceremony1803 44Pearl Divers (1802) av UtamaroPearl Divers1802 45Three Courtesans Stroll Amidst Cherry Blossoms (1803) av UtamaroThree Courtesans Stroll Amidst Cherry Blossoms1803 46Mother and Child Gazing at a Hand Mirror (1805) av UtamaroMother and Child Gazing at a Hand Mirror1805 47Flowers (1806) av UtamaroFlowers1806 48Dressing a Boy on the Occasion of His First Letting His Hair Grow (1795) av UtamaroDressing a Boy on the Occasion of His First Letting His Hair Grow1795 · Brooklyn Museum 49Upon My Oath av UtamaroUpon My Oath 50Secret love av UtamaroSecret love 51Courtesan Karakot av UtamaroCourtesan Karakot 52One out of a series of six av UtamaroOne out of a series of six 53untitled (9685) av Utamarountitled (9685) 54untitled (9924) av Utamarountitled (9924) 55untitled (7099) av Utamarountitled (7099) 56untitled (5980) av Utamarountitled (5980) 57untitled (5729) av Utamarountitled (5729) 58Female Figure av UtamaroFemale FigureMetropolitan Museum of Art 59untitled (3968) av Utamarountitled (3968) 60untitled (1116) av Utamarountitled (1116) 61untitled (722) av Utamarountitled (722) 62untitled (1518) av Utamarountitled (1518) 63Shower av UtamaroShower 64Okita the tea house girl av UtamaroOkita the tea house girl 65Shower av UtamaroShower 66women making dresses (center panel) av Utamarowomen making dresses (center panel) 67Travels Looking at Mt. Fuji av UtamaroTravels Looking at Mt. Fuji 68women making dresses (left panel) av Utamarowomen making dresses (left panel) 69Flower patterned cotton av UtamaroFlower patterned cotton 70The geisha kamekichi av UtamaroThe geisha kamekichi 71The Hour of the Tiger av UtamaroThe Hour of the Tiger 72Page from an Album or Illustrated Book av UtamaroPage from an Album or Illustrated Book 73A Geisha in her Lover`s Room av UtamaroA Geisha in her Lover`s Room 74Untitled (Woman Reading a Letter) av UtamaroUntitled (Woman Reading a Letter)Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao 75The Hour of the Dog av UtamaroThe Hour of the Dog 76The Hour of the Oxx av UtamaroThe Hour of the Oxx 77Ukiyo-e print by Kitagawa Utamaro of a hunting party av UtamaroUkiyo-e print by Kitagawa Utamaro of a hunting party 78HANGING SCROLL: WOMAN HOLDING A FAN av UtamaroHANGING SCROLL: WOMAN HOLDING A FANCincinnati Art Museum 79untitled (2698) av Utamarountitled (2698) 80untitled (1284) av Utamarountitled (1284) 81untitled (9114) av Utamarountitled (9114) 82untitled (8287) av Utamarountitled (8287) 83untitled av Utamarountitled 84untitled (6603) av Utamarountitled (6603) 85untitled (1868) av Utamarountitled (1868) 86untitled (4937) av Utamarountitled (4937) 87untitled (7529) av Utamarountitled (7529) 88untitled (7117) av Utamarountitled (7117) 89untitled (1667) av Utamarountitled (1667) 90untitled (8261) av Utamarountitled (8261) 91untitled (7653) av Utamarountitled (7653) 92untitled (9809) av Utamarountitled (9809) 93Flowers Of Edo av UtamaroFlowers Of Edo 94untitled (5504) av Utamarountitled (5504) 95untitled (9657) av Utamarountitled (9657) 96untitled (6421) av Utamarountitled (6421) 97untitled (6885) av Utamarountitled (6885) 98untitled (6733) av Utamarountitled (6733) 99untitled (4978) av Utamarountitled (4978) 100untitled (9478) av Utamarountitled (9478)

Utamaro's famous paintings, period by period

The subjects that held Utamaro's eye

The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.

The museums that keep Utamaro's originals

De 8 museer som innehar flest av målningarna på denna sida.

Museum Stad Verk av Utamaro Målningar från denna lista
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New YorkMetropolitan Museum of Art New York 3 Two Beauties, Miscellaneous Paintings and Calligraphy, Female Figure
Minneapolis Institute of Art, MinneapolisMinneapolis Institute of Art Minneapolis 3 Standing Prostitute, Woman Making a Flower Arrangement, Standing Prostitute and Kamuro
Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, BilbaoMuseo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao Bilbao 3 Untitled [Uwaki no sō (The Fickle OneThe Fickle One)], Hyōgorō / Hinakoto (The Courtesan Hinakoto of the House of Hyōgo), Untitled (Woman Reading a Letter)
Brooklyn Museum, BrooklynBrooklyn Museum Brooklyn 3 Along the Shore of Yènoshim, Courtesans Strolling Beneath Cherry Trees Before the Daiko, Dressing a Boy on the Occasion of His First Letting His Hair Grow
Hill-Stead Museum, FarmingtonHill-Stead Museum Farmington 2 Courtesan or Kneeling Lady with Fan from the series Seasonal Poems Composed by Famous Women, Two Geisha
Chester Beatty Library, DublinChester Beatty Library Dublin 1 Drying clothes
Toledo Museum of Art, ToledoToledo Museum of Art Toledo 1 Toji san bijin (Three Beauties of the Present Day)From Bijin-ga (Pictures of Beautiful Women), published by Tsutaya Juzaburo
Asia Society Museum, New YorkAsia Society Museum New York 1 A Flirt, from the series Ten Studies in Female Physiognomy (Fujin sogaku juttai)

Utamaro across the decades: one unique original for each

Verk per decennium

Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.

Utamaro's paintings: questions for the gallery

What is the single most famous work of Utamaro?Reveal the answer

Courtesan or Kneeling Lady with Fan from the series Seasonal Poems Composed by Famous Women (1790), Hill-Stead Museum, Farmington. Two Beauties (1802) and Drying clothes (1790) come next.

At what age did Utamaro create Courtesan or Kneeling Lady with Fan from the series Seasonal Poems Composed by Famous Women?Reveal the answer

37 years old: Courtesan or Kneeling Lady with Fan from the series Seasonal Poems Composed by Famous Women dates from 1790, and Utamaro was born in 1753.

Which ten paintings by Utamaro are the most famous?Reveal the answer

Courtesan or Kneeling Lady with Fan from the series Seasonal Poems Composed by Famous Women, Two Beauties, Drying clothes, Standing Prostitute, Toji san bijin (Three Beauties of the Present Day)From Bijin-ga (Pictures of Beautiful Women), published by Tsutaya Juzaburo, Untitled [Uwaki no sō (The Fickle OneThe Fickle One)], A Flirt, from the series Ten Studies in Female Physiognomy (Fujin sogaku juttai), Hyōgorō / Hinakoto (The Courtesan Hinakoto of the House of Hyōgo), Female Immortal och From the series Kasen koi no bu. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.

How many works by Utamaro are known?Reveal the answer

Our catalog holds 135 works by Utamaro, dated from 1788 to 1806.

Where can the most famous Utamaro originals be seen?Reveal the answer

Mostly in Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), Minneapolis Institute of Art (Minneapolis) och Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao (Bilbao). The museum table above lists them all.

During which period did Utamaro create the best-known paintings?Reveal the answer

In 1790s: 21 of the 100 works on this page were made then, Courtesan or Kneeling Lady with Fan from the series Seasonal Poems Composed by Famous Women among them.

Which famous Utamaro painting is the earliest, and which the latest?Reveal the answer

On this page, the earliest is Awabi divers (1788) and the latest Flowers (1806).

What subjects did Utamaro favour?Reveal the answer

Women (22), Japanese art (21) och Traditional japan (18), across the 100 works on this page.

What materials did Utamaro paint with most?Reveal the answer

Woodblock Print, for 10 of the 100 works on this page.

Which movement does the work of Utamaro belong to?Reveal the answer

Ukiyo-e, judging by the originals on this page.

What Utamaro originals can I see at the Metropolitan Museum of Art?Reveal the answer

Two Beauties, Miscellaneous Paintings and Calligraphy och Female Figure: the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York holds 3 of the works on this page.

Where can I order a hand-painted Utamaro reproduction?Reveal the answer

Yes, as a reproduction: the original stays in its museum, but any painting on this page can be painted by hand for you, made to order one at a time, from the painting's own page.

Utamaro: a portrait of the artist

Kitagawa Utamaro: En mästare av Bijin-ga

  • Född: Tokyo, Japan (1753)
  • Död: 1806

Kitagawa Utamaro var en japansk konstnär som blev världsberömd för sina bidrag till *ukiyo-e*, och i synnerhet för sina skildringar av vackra kvinnor (*bijin-ga*). Han står som en av de mest hyllade utformarna av träsnitt och målningar från Edo-perioden, och lämnade ett bestående arv som har påverkat både japansk konst och den västerländska impressionismen.

Tidigt liv och utbildning

  • Lite är definitivt känt om Utamaros tidiga liv. Det tros att han föddes som Kitagawa Ichitarō omkring 1753, även om hans födelseplats förblir osäker med olika platser föreslagna, däribland Kyoto, Osaka, Yoshiwara (Edo) och Kawagoe.
  • Han kom under ledning av Toriyama Sekien, en utövare av *ukiyo-e* som även var skolad inom den högklassiga Kanō-skolan för måleri. Sekien kände igen Utamaros talang och främjade hans konstnärliga utveckling.
  • Utamaros första kända publicerade verk dök upp omkring 1770, en illustration till en haikai-poesiantologi. Han arbetade senare under namnet Kitagawa Toyoaki, där han illustrerade populärlitteratur och då och då skapade porträtt av kabuki-skådespelare.

Vägen till berömmelse: Bijin-ga-mästaren

  • År 1782 slog Utamaro samman sina krafter med förläggaren Tsutaya Jūzaburō, vilket markerade en avgörande vändpunkt i hans karriär. Detta partnerskap ledde till skapandet av banbrytande verk och befäste hans rykte.
  • Utamaros signaturstil växte fram i början av 1790-talet: porträtt av kvinnor med förhöjda, förlängda drag. Dessa *bijin-ga* blev enormt populära och etablerade honom som en ledande figur inom konstvärlden.
  • Han förnyade genren genom att fokusera på enskilda figurer och fånga intima ögonblick, snarare än de traditionella gruppskildringarna. Hans uppmärksamhet på detaljer i återgivningen av tyger, frisyrer och ansiktsuttryck var exceptionell.
  • Utamaro producerade över 2000 kända träsnitt under sin karriär, vilket vittnar om en anmärkningsvärd produktivitet och konstnärlig mångsidighet.

Inflytanden och konstnärlig utveckling

  • Kiyonaga: Utamaro påverkades av Torii Kiyonaga, en framstående porträttör av skönheter under 1780-talet, och han adopterade samt förfinade den gracila estetik som Kiyonaga etablerat.
  • Shunshō: Han hämtade inspiration från Katsukawa Shunshō, som introducerade *ōkubi-e*-stilen ("stora huvud-bilder"), vilken Utamaro anpassade för sina kvinnoporträtt.
  • Europeisk impressionism: Utamaros verk fick en betydande inverkan på europeiska impressionistiska målare som Monet och Cassatt. Hans användning av partiella vyer, betoning på ljus och skugga samt fokus på vardagliga motiv resonerade med dessa konstnärer, som strävade efter att efterlikna hans tekniker.

Sena år, kontroverser och arv

  • År 1804 hamnade Utamaro i juridiska svårigheter för att ha skapat träsnitt som föreställde Toyotomi Hideyoshi, ett känsligt ämne på grund av dess politiska implikationer. Han arresterades och hölls i handbojor i femtio dagar.
  • Han avled två år senare, 1806, och lämnade efter sig ett rikt konstnärligt arv.
  • Utamaros arbete fick stor spridning i Europa under mitten av nittondekarhundratalet, särskilt i Frankrike, där det gav bränsle åt japonismen och påverkade västerländsk konst djupt.
  • Hans *bijin-ga* förblir ikoniska representationer av skönhet från Edo-perioden och fortsätter att hyllas för sin elegans, sitt hantverk och sin kulturella betydelse.

Alla 135 verk av Utamaro →