Kotondo's bijin-ga are prized for their psychologically intimate portrayals of modern Tokyo women. With only 21 designs and original woodblocks destroyed, all genuine 1930s impressions are scarce. Sotheby's estimated "Summer Geisha" at $8,000–$12,000 in 2023.
A woman reclines in the light sleep called utatane, her body relaxed into an unplanned rest. This 1933 version of the Nap subject presents a first variation of the composition — the figure's posture, the angle of the face, the arrangement of the fabric — exploring the same drowsy subject from a slightly different vantage. The utatane print is among Kotondo's most celebrated designs, the sleeping figure rendered with such naturalness that the viewer feels genuinely as though they have come upon someone asleep in private.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Utatane- A nap- V1 — うたっ寝 was created by Torii Kotondo (鳥居言人) in 1933.
Utatane- A nap- V1 — うたっ寝 was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (1933).
Utatane- A nap- V1 — うたっ寝 depicts figures, bijin-ga, and daily life.
