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Lot Essay
Kitagawa Utamaro est considéré comme l'un des plus grands peintres d'estampes en partie par son aptitude à capturer la beauté féminine mais aussi pour la subtilité avec laquelle il savait saisir la personnalité de son modèle d'un simple trait. Artiste incontournable de la dernière décennie du XVIIIème siècle et des premières années du XIXème siècle, plébiscité pour ses portraits de femmes aux larges visages, okubi-e, il maîtrisait également à la perfection d'autres sujets. Il produisit également des portraits en buste, des portraits en pied et des illustrations de livres. Le but réel de ces artistes de bijin-ga n'était pas de créer des portraits individuels mais plutôt de livrer des images de femmes idéalisées. Cependant, les portraits de Utamaro okubi-e sont particulièrement appréciés pour sa façon inimitable de travailler les visages de façon à ce qu'aucun ne se ressemble et créer ainsi des individualités distinctes tout en conservant l'idée d'une beauté idéalisée et universelle.
Cette scène d’une jeune femme servant le thé à une dame portant une robe en coton, tenant son col fermé et ajustant son épingle à chignon fait partie d’un groupe de trois compositions similaires montrant deux femmes à mi-corps, chacune publiée par Yamadaya Sanshiro vers 1797.
Pour une édition similaire, voir la collection de l'Art Institute of Chicago, numéro d'accès 1925.3039 :
https://www.artic.edu/artworks/23905/a-young-girl-offering-tea-to-another-woman
Kitagawa Utamaro is considered amongst the greatest print artists, in part due to his skill in the depiction of female beauty and his ability to subtly convey the character of his subject through simple line alone. He dominated the last decade of the 18th century and the first years of the 19th century with his okubi-e (large head) depictions of women, although he was certainly not limited to this - he also produced half-portraits, full-length portraits and book illustrations. The focal point of artists of bijin-ga was not to create individualistic portraits, but instead to portray idealised images of women. However, Utamaro’s okubi-e portraits are highly appreciated for the manner in which he made subtle adjustments to the facial features of each subject resulting in distinctly individual portraits, whilst still keeping to his standard idealised style of depicting beauties.
This design of a girl serving tea to a woman wearing a cotton robe who is drawing the collar closed whilst adjusting her hairpin, is part of a group of three similar untitled compositions of pair of half-length figures, each published by Yamadaya Sanshiro in about 1797.
For the same design in the Art Institute of Chicago collection, access number 1925.3039, go to :
https://www.artic.edu/artworks/23905/a-young-girl-offering-tea-to-another-woman
Cette scène d’une jeune femme servant le thé à une dame portant une robe en coton, tenant son col fermé et ajustant son épingle à chignon fait partie d’un groupe de trois compositions similaires montrant deux femmes à mi-corps, chacune publiée par Yamadaya Sanshiro vers 1797.
Pour une édition similaire, voir la collection de l'Art Institute of Chicago, numéro d'accès 1925.3039 :
https://www.artic.edu/artworks/23905/a-young-girl-offering-tea-to-another-woman
Kitagawa Utamaro is considered amongst the greatest print artists, in part due to his skill in the depiction of female beauty and his ability to subtly convey the character of his subject through simple line alone. He dominated the last decade of the 18th century and the first years of the 19th century with his okubi-e (large head) depictions of women, although he was certainly not limited to this - he also produced half-portraits, full-length portraits and book illustrations. The focal point of artists of bijin-ga was not to create individualistic portraits, but instead to portray idealised images of women. However, Utamaro’s okubi-e portraits are highly appreciated for the manner in which he made subtle adjustments to the facial features of each subject resulting in distinctly individual portraits, whilst still keeping to his standard idealised style of depicting beauties.
This design of a girl serving tea to a woman wearing a cotton robe who is drawing the collar closed whilst adjusting her hairpin, is part of a group of three similar untitled compositions of pair of half-length figures, each published by Yamadaya Sanshiro in about 1797.
For the same design in the Art Institute of Chicago collection, access number 1925.3039, go to :
https://www.artic.edu/artworks/23905/a-young-girl-offering-tea-to-another-woman