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Bathtime

Original Language Title行水
Artist Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, 1753 - 1806)
CultureJapanese
Dateca. 1801
MediumWoodblock print; ink and color on paper
DimensionsOverall: 14 7/8 × 10 1/8 inches (37.78 × 25.72 cm)
Credit LinePurchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust
Object number32-143/145
On View
On view
Gallery Location
  • 205
Collections
Exhibition History

Lasting Impressions: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Prints, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, April 5, 2025–July 6, 2025, no cat.

Gallery Label

Color woodblock prints reached full blossom during the Edo period (1615–1868), because the medium played a crucial role in the popular pictorial art known as ukiyo-e, or “pictures of the Floating World.” Ukyio-e drew its subject matter from the urban entertainment life, featuring genre scenes and portraits. Its forms varied from modest and widely disseminated prints to expensive paintings. The prints were usually produced by teamwork, whereby the master artist assumed the key role in design and the selling price.

 

An important artist of Ukyio-e, Kitagawa Utamaro was celebrated for his images of beautiful women, both geisha (courtesan) and ordinary women. His favorites are these sensual, slender beauties engaging in everyday activities.

Information about a particular artwork or image, including provenance information, is based upon historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete. Research on artwork and images is an ongoing process, and the information about a particular artwork or image may not reflect the most current information available to the Museum. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about a particular artwork or image, please e-mail provenance@nelson-atkins.org.


recto overall
Kitagawa Utamaro
ca. 1788-1804
32-143/148 B
recto overall
Kitagawa Utamaro
ca. 1788-1804
32-143/148 C
recto overall
Kitagawa Utamaro
ca. 1788-1804
32-143/148 A
recto overall
Kitagawa Utamaro
ca. 1788-1804
32-143/148 E
image overall
Kitagawa Utamaro
ca. 1790
32-143/144
recto overall
Kitagawa Utamaro
ca. 1788-1804
32-143/148 D
image overall
Kitagawa Utamaro
1793
32-143/141
image overall
Kitagawa Utamaro
ca. 1793–1794
32-143/140
image overall
Kitagawa Utamaro
1795-1796
32-143/143