Mother and Children at the New Year

Mother and Children at the New Year

Utagawa Toyoharu

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Toyoharu, the founder of the Utagawa school, depicted women more often in paintings than in prints. The gentle elegance of his images of women is also seen in works by other artists of the late eighteenth century. Here, a boy entertains his younger brother by hiding in the layers of their mother's kimono while she tries to hold onto the wriggling child. The playful, swirling movement of the three figures reflects the pleasant festivities of the New Year season, represented by the pine and bamboo decoration in the background.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Mother and Children at the New YearMother and Children at the New YearMother and Children at the New YearMother and Children at the New YearMother and Children at the New Year

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.