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Catching Fireflies by Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, c. 1754–1806) — VisualArtsDB

Catching Fireflies

Catching Fireflies

Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, c. 1754–1806)

1796–1797

Medium: Triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper
Dimensions: Overall: 38.2 x 76.8 cm (15 1/16 x 30 1/4 in.)
Genre: print
Museum: Cleveland Museum of Art

Styles

Tags

Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

About

Caught up in a frenzied pursuit of fireflies, one boy has waded into a stream after his quarry, while a younger one watches in anticipation as a young woman thrusts her fan into the air in the hope of capturing hers. In the center of the composition, a girl examines the insects trapped in her elegantly carved cage.

More by Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, c. 1754–1806)

Fond of Noise from the series Eight Views of Favorite Things of Today’s World

Fond of Noise from the series Eight Views of Favorite Things of Today’s World

Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, c. 1754–1806), 1797

The Hour of the Snake (from the series A Clock for Young Women)

The Hour of the Snake (from the series A Clock for Young Women)

Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, c. 1754–1806), 1791

Winter Scene from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Winter Scene from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, c. 1754–1806), 1785

Two Courtesans

Two Courtesans

Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, c. 1754–1806), 1753

No Title

No Title

Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, c. 1754–1806), 1753

The Courtesans Kasugano and Utahama of Tamaya, from Courtesans of the Pleasure Quarters in Double Mirrors

The Courtesans Kasugano and Utahama of Tamaya, from Courtesans of the Pleasure Quarters in Double Mirrors

Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, c. 1754–1806), 1795

Net Fishing at Night on the Sumida River

Net Fishing at Night on the Sumida River

Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, c. 1754–1806), 1795

The Flirtatious Type, from Ten Types in the Physiognomy of Women

The Flirtatious Type, from Ten Types in the Physiognomy of Women

Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, c. 1754–1806), 1788

Parody of an Imperial Carriage Scene

Parody of an Imperial Carriage Scene

Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, c. 1754–1806), 1793

Women Hanging Laundry to Dry on a Balcony

Women Hanging Laundry to Dry on a Balcony

Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, c. 1754–1806), 1790

Nakatsu, from the series Fifty-three Stations in the Life of a Beauty

Nakatsu, from the series Fifty-three Stations in the Life of a Beauty

Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, c. 1754–1806), 1801

Settsu Province from the series Fashionable Six Jewel Rivers (Furyu Mu Tamagawa)

Settsu Province from the series Fashionable Six Jewel Rivers (Furyu Mu Tamagawa)

Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, c. 1754–1806), 1795