Who painted Catching Fireflies Beneath a Willow Tree (center)?

Catching Fireflies Beneath a Willow Tree (center) was painted by Kitagawa Utamaro in 1796.

Where can I see Catching Fireflies Beneath a Willow Tree (center)?

Catching Fireflies Beneath a Willow Tree (center) is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Catching Fireflies Beneath a Willow Tree (center)?

Catching Fireflies Beneath a Willow Tree (center) is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Catching Fireflies Beneath a Willow Tree (center)

Kitagawa Utamaro , 1796

Catching Fireflies Beneath a Willow Tree (center) is a print by the Romanticist artist Kitagawa Utamaro. It dates from 1796 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

The scene feels quiet and alive at the same time—no big drama, just the glow of bugs and the soft rustle of leaves.

You see three kids and a young woman chasing fireflies under a willow tree at dusk. One boy splashes in the stream, another watches, and the woman swings her fan like a net.

Utamaro painted this in Japan’s Edo period, when firefly hunts were a summer night ritual. The scene feels quiet and alive at the same time—no big drama, just the glow of bugs and the soft rustle of leaves.

To see more of this gentle, everyday beauty, look up *subject: japan, edo period (1615–1868)*.

Overview

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.

Did you know?

A sense of movement is conveyed by their sleeves fluttering in the breeze.