One of the greatest artists of the Ukiyo-e movement (paintings and wood-block prints of the "floating world"), known especially for his masterfully composed portraits of sensous female beauties.
Probably born in a provincial town he went to Edo (now Tokyo) with his mother. There, under the name of Toyoaki, he started painting and designing rather unoriginal woodblock prints of women. He also occupied himself with natures studies and published many illustrated books of which Gahon chüsen (1788, Insects) is best known.
Around 1791 he gave up designing prints for books and concentrated on making half-length single portraits of women rather than prints of women in groups as favoured by other Ukiyo-e artists.
In 1804, at the height of his success, he made some prints depicting the military ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi´s wife and concubines. Consequently he was accused of insulting Hideyoshi´s dignity and ordered to be handcuffed for 50 days. The experience crushed him and ended his career as an artist.
Among Utamaro´s famous works are the wood-block-print series Fu ninsogaku jittai (Ten Physiognomies of Women), Seirö juni-toki (Twelve Hours at the Gay Quarters), Seirö nanakomachi (The Seven Beauties of the Gay Quarters) and Kasen koi no fu (Women in Love).
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