Kitagawa Utamaro II

Kitagawa Utamaro II was a Japanese printmaker active in the early 19th century, with his documented artistic output spanning the years 1801 to 1808. He worked primarily in the ukiyo-e tradition, focusing on artistic portrayals of bijin (beautiful women) and genre scenes of daily life.

The limited body of work attributed to Kitagawa Utamaro II highlights themes of domesticity, theater, and the Yoshiwara pleasure quarter. Examples of his documented output include the intimate genre print Mother Nursing Child and the theatrical study Bunraku Puppetry from the series Competition of Precious Children Proud of their Arts, Among Seven Scrolls. The artist also produced depictions of high-ranking courtesans, exemplified by The Courtesans Karagoto and Nishikido of Chojiya and the work The Lovers Okiku and Kozuke from the series An Elegant Comparison of Charming Features. Another example of his focus on figure studies is the print Geisha Standing Beside a Shamisen Case.

Six of these Kitagawa Utamaro II prints are currently represented in American museum collections, affirming the artist’s legacy within the ukiyo-e school. These significant holdings include works preserved at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Though his active period was brief, these surviving pieces demonstrate expert craftsmanship. Today, works such as these are frequently sought as museum-quality reproductions, and many of these high-quality prints are accessible via major institutional art databases.