Comparative Study

Kathleen Sharp

The following study analyzes the formal qualities, the

function and purpose, and the cultural significance of the
following artwork:
-

Midnight: Mother and Sleepy Child, 1790 by Kitagawa

Utamaro
Maternal Caress, 1891 by Mary Cassatt
The Letter, 1891 by Mary Cassatt

Cultural Context: Japan

When considering Midnight: Mother and Sleepy Child, one must consider the influence of the time period in which
artist Kitagawa Utamaro lived. Utamaro lived from 1753 to 1806 in Edo, Japan (modern day Tokyo). His lifetime fell
within the Tokugawa period, commonly referred to as the Edo period (1603-1867). This was the final period of
traditional Japan, in which the country was ruled by the shogunate. During this time, there was internal peace,
stability, and economic growth. Also during this time, mobility between social classes was prohibited and there was a
growing fear of foreign (Western) ideas. Utamaro, himself, benefited from the
stability of this era and the influx of new ideas. Discovered at a young age,
Utamaros early works, such as his illustrated books depicting insects and birds,
were the results of Dutch scientific influence, which entered through the ports
of Nagasaki. His later works centered around themes closer to home. Due to the
stability of the time, Utamaro was able to spend much of his time in the Edo
pleasure districts, where he found inspiration from courtesans, teahouse
waitresses, and mothers with their children. As he shows in his work, however,
the peace of the time was relative. Through his prints depicting courtesans, he
subtly illustrated the misery of his beautiful subjects. Utamaros work was also
influenced by other Japanese artists, such as Toriyama and Kiyonaga. He
emulated a popular style that was practiced by these artists, known as Ukiyo-e.
Later, Utamaros work would be admired by the French Impressionists, leading
other artists to emulate his work.

Formal Qualities
Kitagawa Utamaro was a master of the Ukiyo-e school of Japanese woodblock
printing. Midnight: Mother and Sleepy Child was part of a series called Customs of
Women in the Twelve Hours, depicting, as the name would suggest, the customs of
women. Compositionally the piece is asymmetrical, following the rule of thirds. The
subject matter is placed more heavily on the right half of print, whereas the left half
is left predominantly blank, save for the Japanese script. This helps establish a sense
of weariness between the print and the viewer. The piece also uses minimal color,
creating a washed-out effect that adds to the sense of lethargy. While little color is
used, Utamaro does use a number of decorative motifs to add visual interest.
Midnight: Mother and Sleepy Child, as part of the Ukiyo-e style, is also drawn with flat
planes, showing little to no depth, and with strong linear outlines. The subject matter
is drawn in profile view, using unusual shapes and angles, as is typical of Utamaros
depictions of women. Illustrating women as tall and slender, with oval faces, slanted
eyes, a tiny mouth, and sharply defined features, Utamaro created his own definition
of beauty, where even a mother, awake at midnight tending to her baby, is dressed
and coifed for public view.

Function and Purpose

Midnight: Mother and Sleepy Child is a part of Utamaros series that explores the
roles and functions that women serve in society. Known for his unique depiction of
women with slender bodies, oval faces, slanted eyes, tiny mouths, and sharply
defined features, Utamaros women all appear quite similar. The viewer could take
away from this a feeling that the individual woman is unimportant and
interchangeable, and that Utamaro is focused more on the task rather than the
woman performing the task. Utamaros goal seems to be, simply, to explore the
lives of his subjects, as they were so different from his own. Utamaro appears to be
an observer, providing dry commentary on the women that passed through his day.
This is in keeping with how women were viewed in his time.

Cultural Context: France

Though artist Mary Cassatt was born in America, she spent much of her adult life in France.
She lived from 1844 to 1926. During this time the Impressionists were active in France, and
Cassatt was inducted into their ranks as the only American artist.
Also during this time, the Japanese ports were reopened, allowing for an influx of Japanese
trading goods to European shores. Along with European interest in Japanese goods came an
interest in Japanese culture. Artists, for example, began to study Japanese techniques,
imitating them in their own work. This is known as Japonisme. Cassatts mentor and friend,
Edgar Degas, was one such artist. Degas collected Japanese prints, including those of
Kitagawa Utamaro. Cassatt, took an interest as well.
However, Cassatt put her own spin on traditional Ukiyo-e prints, adding an element that
she faced in her everyday life. Womens roles were clearly defined during this time period.
Whereas before it wasnt unheard of to see women, especially lower class women, working
alongside men, during the 19th century, the womens sphere was strictly limited to domestic
activities. Because of this, Cassatts prints all depict different aspects of domestic life. The
Letter, shows a scene of particular significance. For an American living in France, writing
letters would have been her only method of keeping in contact with family and friends.
Maternal Caress shows another common theme of hers: the bond between mother and child.
For her prints, Cassatt drew much of her inspiration from Kitagawa Utamaros prints, such
as Midnight: Mother and Sleepy Child.

Formal Qualities
Mary Cassatt was an American-born Impressionist artist. While she was known mainly for her
paintings, Cassatt also created a series of prints including Maternal Caress and The Letter. In
Maternal Caress, muted warm tones are used to unify the image. The soft nature of the colors
could be indicative of the affection between the mother and child. Patterns are also used as a
unifying element in this print, with a repeating floral pattern on the wall and the chair, creating
a feeling of being nestled in their surroundings. Conversely, the print also employs contrast in
order to highlight the separation between the mother and the bed, hinting, perhaps, that the
mother has given up sleep to tend to her child, again reinforcing the sense of devotion that the
mother has toward the child.
Similar Maternal Caress, The Letter employs several of the same Japanese woodblock printing
techniques. Drawn with strong linear outlines and flat planes, the print only seems to show
depth through Cassatts use of perspective. The color scheme, while not quite as limited as
Midnight: Mother and Sleepy Child or Maternal Caress, still remains within the realm of muted
tones. These colors, however, are cool, showing, perhaps, the sadness of Cassatt, who lived in
France, at having to write back to her family and friends in America to keep in touch. Cassat
also employs a pattern motif in this print, as is common in the Ukiyo-e style. Here, the patterns
seem to create a unifying effect, contrasting the asymmetry from having the subject matter
placed largely in the bottom two thirds of the piece.

Function and Purpose

Maternal Caress and The Letter were two prints from a series of woodblock prints done by
Cassatt in the Ukiyo-e style. Each print from this series explores a different aspect of
domestic life. As a woman in the 19th century, this so-called womans sphere and the then
budding womens rights would have directly affected Cassatt. While Cassatt did show some
defiance on this point during her lifetime, choosing to become an artist in Paris rather than
staying home, marrying, and tending a household, Cassatts life was still limited in many
regards. As a result, much of her work, not only her prints, revolved around domestic topics.
Her choice to explore this topic in the medium of woodblock prints, however, was an
interesting selection. This can be directly linked to the influx of Japanese goods and the
rising theme of Japonisme. Upon seeing Utamaros depiction of women, especially Midnight:
Mother and Sleeping Child, Cassatt was shown this domestic theme represented in a new
light. Her work was largely ignored by what was presumably a mostly male audience. By
exploring her theme in this new, exciting medium, amidst the interest in Japanese culture,
her work could gain more recognition. Her explorations of the roles and expectations that
define womens daily lives are still relevant today. Modern society is still seeking to define or
redefine what women can or should do, and where our boundaries lie.

Comparison: Style

Ukiyo-e (pictures of the floating world)

woodblock printing techniques

Muted color schemes

Midnight: Mother and Sleepy Child:

browns, black, oranges
The Letter: blue, green, black, pink,
brown
Maternal Caress: Oranges, black,
white/cream

Decorative pattern motifs

Strong linear outlines

Flat planes

Creates visual ties between objects

within prints

Depth shown through perspective

rather than shadow

Comparison: Theme

Subject matter shows figures

Figures are female

Depicts domestic activities

Midnight: Mother and Sleepy Child shows a

mother and child

Maternal Caress shows a mother and child

The Letter shows a woman sealing a letter

shes written

Kitagawas purpose in exploring the domestic

activities of women was to show the lives of his
beautiful subjects

Cassatts purpose in exploring domestic activities

was to explore her own condition, confined by the
norms of 19th century society

Comparison Overview
The Letter and
Maternal Caress

Midnight: Mother and

Sleepy Child

Asymmetrical composition
Figures not anatomically
correct

Used strange angles

and shapes to create
image of feminine
beauty

tall/ slender

Oval face

Slanted eyes

Small mouth

Sharply
defined
features
Purpose was to explore the
lives of his subjects

Muted
colors
Decorative
pattern
motifs
Strong
linear
outlines
Flat planes
Female
subjects
Subject
matter
depicts
domestic
activities

Figures are anatomically correct

Emotion is shown more clearly

Perhaps benefited from

personal experience
Purpose was to explore her own life,
defined by societal norms for
women during the 19th century
The Letter uses cool tones, showing a
different emotion
The Letter doesnt show the
connection between mother and
child
The Letter was influenced by her
living away from family, requiring
her to spend time writing letters in
order to keep in contact

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