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KITAGAWA UTAMARO (ATTR.): YAMAUBA AND KINTARO
奥地利
06月12日 晚上7点 开拍 / 06月10日 下午3点 截止委托
拍品描述
KITAGAWA UTAMARO (ATTR.): YAMAUBA AND KINTARO

Attributed to Kitagawa Utamaro (1754-1806), unsigned
Japan, late 18th-early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

Published & Exhibited:
Galerie Huguette Bères (1954) Outamaro 1754-1806 peintures, estampes, Paris, 11 May - 5 June 1954. Illustrated in the accompanying catalog in color on page 1 and featured on the exhibition poster prominently, which is included in this listing.

Ink and watercolors on paper. The work is finely rendered, depicting Kintaro, the legendary child hero, suckling from the Yamauba, his mother, one hand resting on top and the other pinching the free nipple. Yamauba, cradling the orphaned Kintaro, appears with a disheveled appearance, yet the scene conveys an unexpected sensuality and warmth. The soft lines and delicate composition imbue the figures with a surprising intimacy, far from the typical fearsome depictions of Yamauba in other sources.

Image SIZE 47.5 x 53.5 cm, SIZE incl. frame and mounting 67.5 x 73.5 cm

Provenance: Ex-collection Collection of Huguette Berès (1913-1999), Paris, France. A private collection in Paris, acquired from the above. The original vintage poster of the exhibition showing the present piece is included with the lot.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and browning to paper. Tiny losses to the edges, little creasing, and foxing. The image is excellently preserved.

Set inside a metal frame behind glass which is further mounted on cloth-covered board.

This painting is a preliminary draft for a famous woodblock print by Utamaro, depicting Yamauba nursing her orphaned son, Kintaro. In Japanese mythology, Yamauba is a fearsome, ogre-like figure, originally depicted as a child-eating demon in early tales such as those in the Konjaku Monogatari (12th century). By the 15th–16th centuries, she was transformed into a more complex figure, sometimes depicted as Kintaro’s mother and a protector rather than a threat. Utamaro’s portrayal accelerates this transformation, presenting Yamauba as a nurturing, tender mother rather than a monster.

This transformation from an ogre to a caring parent mirrors broader shifts in Japanese attitudes toward such mythological figures. Utamaro's work not only subverts the traditional image of Yamauba but also captures a rare moment of intimacy and maternal tenderness. The imagery of Kintaro, traditionally depicted with bright red skin as a symbol of his supernatural strength, here takes on a more humanized form, as he rests in the embrace of his mother.

Born in 1754, Kitagawa Utamaro was one of the most influential figures in ukiyo-e woodblock printing and painting. Known for his portraits of beautiful women, Utamaro’s later works increasingly explored more dramatic and intimate subjects, often capturing scenes of popular stories or mythological figures with an erotic or emotional charge. His mastery of expression, delicate brushwork, and use of soft color palettes defined his artistic style, which had a lasting influence on European artists during the rise of Japonisme in the late 19th century.

While Utamaro’s prints of Yamauba and Kintaro are widely recognized, his painted versions are exceedingly rare, adding even greater significance to this preliminary study of the theme.

Literature comparison:
For identical prints of the same subject by the artist and published by Tsutaya Juzaburo circa 1801-3, see Shugo Asano and Timothy Clark, Exhibition Catalogue, The Passionate Art of Kitagawa Utamaro, British Museum Press, London, 1995, p.194, pl. 388 and Kiyoshi Shibui, Ukiyoe zuten (Dictionary of Ukiyo-e Images), Kazama Shobo, Tokyo, 1964, vol. 13, p. 209, pl. 5.

Auction comparison:
Utamaro’s paintings are highly sought after. Compare a related painting of Three Beauties, by the same artist, dated to the Kansei era, size 47.6 x 73.1 cm, at Christie’s, An Important Collection of Japanese Ukiyo-e Paintings, 27 October 1998, New York, lot 61 (sold for USD 332,500 or approx. EUR 573,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).

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拍品估价:12,000 - 25,000 欧元 起拍价格:12,000 欧元  买家佣金:

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