Artwork

『画本虫撰』「蝶」「蜻蛉」|Butterfly (Chō); Dragonfly (Kagerō or Tonbo), from the Picture Book of Crawling Creatures (Ehon mushi erami)

『画本虫撰』「蝶」「蜻蛉」|Butterfly (Chō); Dragonfly (Kagerō or Tonbo), from the Picture Book of Crawling Creatures (Ehon mushi erami) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Kitagawa Utamaro. It dates from 1788 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

This woodblock illustration, produced in 1788 by the Edo‑period artist Kitagawa Utamaro, appears on a page of the natural‑history volume *Ehon mushi erami* (Picture Book of Crawling Creatures). The print, now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, depicts two separate insect studies rendered in ink and color on paper.

Subject & Meaning

The left panel presents two butterflies perched on pink poppy blossoms, their wings spread against a backdrop of green foliage. The right panel focuses on a dragonfly alighting on a slender stem bearing buds that have not yet opened. Both scenes emphasize the fleeting beauty of insects in relation to flowering plants, a theme common in Japanese natural‑illustration.

Technique & Style

Utamaro employs fine, delicate line work to delineate the insects’ wings and the petals of the flowers. Subtle cross‑hatching creates tonal variation, especially on the dragonfly’s translucent wings, while soft washes of pink, green, and brown convey depth without heavy shading. The composition balances meticulous detail with a restrained palette.

History & Provenance

The image was originally printed as part of a multi‑page book that catalogued insects for an educated audience in late‑eighteenth‑century Japan. After its publication, individual pages entered the market as collectible prints. The particular sheet now owned by the Metropolitan Museum was acquired through the museum’s Asian art acquisitions program in the late twentieth century.

Context

During the Kansei era, interest in natural subjects grew among urban consumers, prompting publishers to produce illustrated encyclopedias. Utamaro, best known for his portraits of courtesans, applied his skill in rendering delicate textures to scientific illustration, bridging artistic and scholarly traditions.