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 second version of the 1933 Nap composition, this print explores the utatane subject through a variation in posture, fabric arrangement, or atmospheric treatment that distinguishes it from the first version. Kotondo's willingness to revisit the same subject in multiple versions reflects the bijin-ga tradition's understanding of composition as an exploration rather than a definitive statement — each version asking what else can be discovered in the same quiet moment of a woman at rest.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Utatane- A nap- Version 2 — うたっ寝 was created by Torii Kotondo (鳥居言人) in 1933.
Utatane- A nap- Version 2 — うたっ寝 was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (1933).
Utatane- A nap- Version 2 — うたっ寝 depicts figures, bijin-ga, and daily life.
