Who painted 風流六玉川武蔵紀伊陸奥|Women and a Man in the Country; Some pageant(?)?

風流六玉川武蔵紀伊陸奥|Women and a Man in the Country; Some pageant(?) was painted by Kitagawa Utamaro in 1780.

Where can I see 風流六玉川武蔵紀伊陸奥|Women and a Man in the Country; Some pageant(?)?

風流六玉川武蔵紀伊陸奥|Women and a Man in the Country; Some pageant(?) is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is 風流六玉川武蔵紀伊陸奥|Women and a Man in the Country; Some pageant(?)?

風流六玉川武蔵紀伊陸奥|Women and a Man in the Country; Some pageant(?) is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

風流六玉川武蔵紀伊陸奥|Women and a Man in the Country; Some pageant(?)

Kitagawa Utamaro , 1780

風流六玉川武蔵紀伊陸奥|Women and a Man in the Country; Some pageant(?) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Kitagawa Utamaro. It dates from 1780 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1780 by the Edo‑period printmaker Kitagawa Utamaro, this triptych of woodblock prints—ink and color on paper—depicts three separate scenes of elegantly dressed figures. The work is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection and is titled 風流六玉川　武蔵　紀伊　陸奥, translated as “Women and a Man in the Country; Some pageant.”

Subject & Meaning

The central image features a woman in black holding a parasol while a kneeling figure in red robes attends her, hinting at a ceremonial exchange.

Each panel presents a distinct vignette of social interaction. The left panel shows two women strolling side by side, their sleeves adorned with floral motifs, suggesting a leisurely promenade. The central image features a woman in black holding a parasol while a kneeling figure in red robes attends her, hinting at a ceremonial exchange. The right panel captures a woman pouring liquid from a jug as a child watches, evoking domestic routine.

Technique & Style

Utamaro employs the characteristic ukiyo‑e approach of bold line work to define forms, while the color palette remains soft, allowing the patterned silk robes—striped, checked, and floral—to stand out against a subtly rendered landscape background. The prints demonstrate careful carving of the woodblocks, with fine cross‑hatching used to suggest texture on fabrics and surfaces.

History & Provenance

The triptych was produced during the height of Utamaro’s career, a period when his depictions of fashionable life were in great demand. It entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection through acquisition in the early twentieth century, where it remains on display as an example of late eighteenth‑century Japanese printmaking.