Enjoying the Cool Evening Breeze on and under the Bridge

Kitagawa Utamaro Japanese

Not on view

In this ambitious group of prints, beautiful women appear in two stage areas as both performers and audience. At the top, women and children pause from their stroll to take in the view of boating parties on the river.

The six panels of this hexaptych (with JP1686) were meant to be viewed singly or as a set. The individual compositions are masterfully united by the gazes that traverse the borders of the prints. Seen separately, each panel depicts a group of fashionably dressed spectators. When the panels are seen together, the observers become the observed.

Enjoying the Cool Evening Breeze on and under the Bridge, Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, ca. 1754–1806), Three sheets of a hexaptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper, Japan

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Enjoying the Cool Evening Breeze on and under the Bridge, Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, ca. 1754–1806), Three sheets of a hexaptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper, Japan
Enjoying the Cool Evening Breeze on and under the Bridge, Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, ca. 1754–1806), Three sheets of a hexaptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper, Japan
Enjoying the Cool Evening Breeze on and under the Bridge, Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, ca. 1754–1806), Three sheets of a hexaptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper, Japan

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.