Paper

Student Artwork Guide

Upper Class

Kitagawa Utamaro

Name Class Date
Kitagawa Utamaro, Upper Class. Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
Kitagawa Utamaro wikioo.org/en/artists/kitagawa-utamaro/
Artist’s dates
1753 – 1806
Movement
Ukiyo-E Japanese woodblock prints of actors, city pleasures and landscapes, printed cheaply for ordinary buyers.

Copyright This work is in the public domain. Kitagawa Utamaro died in 1806; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 1876.

Source: WikiOO.org — accessed Oct. 13, 2026

Upper Class — Kitagawa Utamaro Part 1 · The artwork

In context

Upper Class — Kitagawa Utamaro

When might this have been painted?

  1. 1750
  2. 1760
  3. 1770
  4. 1780
  5. 1790
  6. 1800

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 53 at death.

Shaded: the lifetime of Kitagawa Utamaro (1753–1806) every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1790 Main working years: 1790–1801 Late works: from 1801

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: wikioo.org/en/art/similar/kitagawa-utamaro-upper-class-8XYDRK-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Quinacridone Magenta #775947

    Catalogued palette

    • #775947
    • #EECB98
    • #BC9573
    • #191514

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Palette
    Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Quinacridone Magenta
    Intensity
    Vivid How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Statement How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Strong Color Unity How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Brilliant How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Balanced Soft How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Kitagawa Utamaro over the last twelve months — 7 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 64.5%2,000 visits
    2. 2 Singapore 9.7%300 visits
    3. 3 Israel 6.5%200 visits
    4. 4 Italy 6.5%200 visits
    5. 5 United States of America 6.5%200 visits
    6. 6 Hong Kong 3.2%100 visits
    7. 7 Vietnam 3.2%100 visits

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 20 most looked-at works by Kitagawa Utamaro

    1. 1 Toji san bijin (Three Beauties of the Present Day)From Bijin-ga (Pictures of Beautiful Women), published by Tsutaya Juzaburo, 1793 7.3%300 visits
    2. 2 From the series Kasen koi no bu, 1794 7.3%300 visits
    3. 3 Hyōgorō / Hinakoto (The Courtesan Hinakoto of the House of Hyōgo) 4.9%200 visits
    4. 4 A scene from the 'Poem of the Pillow', 1788 4.9%200 visits
    5. 5 Untitled (Woman Reading a Letter) 4.9%200 visits
    6. 6 Utamaro Okita 4.9%200 visits
    7. 7 Dressing a Boy on the Occasion of His First Letting His Hair Grow, 1795 4.9%200 visits
    8. 8 Moonlight Revelry at Dozo Sagami 2.4%100 visits
    9. 9 Courtesan or Kneeling Lady with Fan from the series Seasonal Poems Composed by Famous Women, 1790 2.4%100 visits
    10. 10 Title Name(Japanese): 隅田川舟遊 2.4%100 visits
    11. 11 Courtesan in Procession, 1868 2.4%100 visits
    12. 12 A Flirt, from the series Ten Studies in Female Physiognomy (Fujin sogaku juttai) 2.4%100 visits
    13. 13 Ukiyo-e print by Kitagawa Utamaro of a hunting party 2.4%100 visits
    14. 14 Woman with a Mirror 2.4%100 visits
    15. 15 Untitled [Uwaki no sō (The Fickle OneThe Fickle One)] 2.4%100 visits
    16. 16 Courtesans Strolling Beneath Cherry Trees Before the Daiko, 1789 2.4%100 visits
    17. 17 locust red dragonfly pinks chinese bell flowers, 1788 2.4%100 visits
    18. 18 The Hour of the Dog 2.4%100 visits
    19. 19 women gathering for tooth-blackening ceremony, 1803 2.4%100 visits
    20. — Upper Class this painting 0.0%0 visits

    Together these works take 67.9% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 127 works by this artist, of which 32 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Source: WikiOO.org — accessed Oct. 13, 2026

    Upper Class — Kitagawa Utamaro Part 2 · In context

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Kitagawa Utamaro

    Born in Tokyo, Japan

    Kitagawa Utamaro: A Master of Bijin-ga

    Born: Tokyo, Japan (1753)

    Died: 1806

    Kitagawa Utamaro was a Japanese artist renowned for his contributions to ukiyo-e, particularly his depictions of beautiful women (bijin-ga). He stands as one of the most celebrated designers of woodblock prints and paintings from the Edo period, leaving an enduring legacy on both Japanese art and Western Impressionism.

    Early Life and Training

    Little is definitively known about Utamaro's early life. It’s believed he was born Kitagawa Ichitarō around 1753, though his birthplace remains uncertain with various locations suggested including Kyoto, Osaka, Yoshiwara (Edo), and Kawagoe.

    He came under the tutelage of Toriyama Sekien, a practitioner of ukiyo-e who also trained in the upper-class Kanō school of painting. Sekien recognized Utamaro's talent and fostered his artistic development.

    Utamaro’s first known published work appeared around 1770, an illustration for a haikai poetry anthology. He later worked under the name Kitagawa Toyoaki, illustrating popular literature and occasionally producing portraits of kabuki actors.

    Rise to Prominence: The Bijin-ga Master

    In 1782, Utamaro joined forces with publisher Tsutaya Jūzaburō, marking a pivotal moment in his career. This partnership led to the creation of groundbreaking works and solidified his reputation.

    Utamaro’s signature style emerged in the early 1790s: portraits of women with exaggerated, elongated features. These bijin-ga became immensely popular, establishing him as a leading figure in the art world.

    He innovated within the genre by focusing on single figures and capturing intimate moments, moving away from traditional group depictions. His attention to detail in portraying fabrics, hairstyles, and expressions was exceptional.

    Utamaro produced over 2000 known prints throughout his career, demonstrating remarkable productivity and artistic versatility.

    Influences and Artistic Development

    Kiyonaga: Utamaro was influenced by Torii Kiyonaga, a pre-eminent portraitist of beauties in the 1780s, adopting and refining the graceful aesthetic established by Kiyonaga.

    Shunshō: He drew inspiration from Katsukawa Shunshō, who introduced the ōkubi-e ("large-headed picture") style, which Utamaro adapted for his portraits of women.

    European Impressionism: Utamaro’s work significantly impacted European Impressionist painters like Monet and Cassatt. His use of partial views, emphasis on light and shade, and focus on everyday subjects resonated with these artists, who sought to emulate his techniques.

    Later Life, Controversy, and Legacy

    In 1804, Utamaro faced legal trouble for creating prints depicting Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a sensitive subject due to its political implications. He was arrested and manacled for fifty days.

    He died two years later in 1806, leaving behind a rich artistic legacy.

    Utamaro’s work gained widespread recognition in Europe during the mid-nineteenth century, particularly in France, where it fueled the Japonism movement and profoundly influenced Western art.

    His bijin-ga remain iconic representations of Edo period beauty and continue to be celebrated for their elegance, artistry, and cultural significance.

    Where to read more

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for Upper Class

    wikioo.org/en/art/download/kitagawa-utamaro-upper-class-8XYDRK-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Utamaro, Kitagawa. Upper Class. n.d., https://wikioo.org/en/art/kitagawa-utamaro-upper-class-8XYDRK-en/
    APA
    Utamaro, Kitagawa (n.d.). Upper Class [Painting]. https://wikioo.org/en/art/kitagawa-utamaro-upper-class-8XYDRK-en/
    Chicago
    Kitagawa Utamaro. Upper Class. n.d. https://wikioo.org/en/art/kitagawa-utamaro-upper-class-8XYDRK-en/
    Harvard
    Utamaro, Kitagawa (n.d.) Upper Class. Available at: https://wikioo.org/en/art/kitagawa-utamaro-upper-class-8XYDRK-en/

    Source: WikiOO.org — accessed Oct. 13, 2026

    Upper Class — Kitagawa Utamaro Part 3 · Artist and museum

    Look closely

    Upper Class — Kitagawa Utamaro

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Our catalogue files this work under: women. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    4. Look back at Toji san bijin (Three Beauties of the Present Day)From Bijin-ga (Pictures of Beautiful Women), published by Tsutaya Juzaburo (1793), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    5. Ukiyo-E: Japanese woodblock prints of actors, city pleasures and landscapes, printed cheaply for ordinary buyers. Where can you see that in this work?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Source: WikiOO.org — accessed Oct. 13, 2026

    Upper Class — Kitagawa Utamaro Part 4 · Look closely

    Questions & Answers

    Are the colors of "Upper Class" by Kitagawa Utamaro saturated or muted?

    The palette of "Upper Class" is balanced soft in saturation.

    What color harmony does "Upper Class" by Kitagawa Utamaro display?

    The color harmony of "Upper Class" is recorded as strong color unity.

    Is a download available for "Upper Class"?

    "Upper Class" by Kitagawa Utamaro can be downloaded from the artwork's Download page, as a high-resolution digital image download.