NHK's educational program "Ukiyo-e EDO-LIFE" features ukiyo-e prints linked to the story every week, in order to help viewers enjoy the station's historical drama "UNBOUND (Berabou)" (General TV, Sundays at 8pm and others) more deeply. On December 12th, "The World of UNBOUND- Tsutaju, Utamaro and the 'Mature Woman in Love' 'Monoshiren'" will be broadcast on BS Premium 4K from 6pm and on Educational TV from 11:50pm.
To coincide with the final episode of the drama (broadcast on December 14th), we will be introducing one of the greatest masterpieces created by the collaboration between Tsutaju and Utamaro, "Utasen Koi no bu Monoshi Ren," which depicts the love of a mature woman.
Among the many works left to posterity by the Tsutaju-Utamaro duo, this painting is a masterpiece that many people find captivating. A woman resting her chin on her hand, narrowing her eyes as she gazes into the distance. Perhaps she is the wife of a large merchant family. The title is "Thoughts of Love." The painting stirs the imagination as to who the love interest is.
Utamaro and Tsutaju revolutionized ukiyo-e by depicting women's inner lives through their facial expressions and gestures. Furthermore, their depiction of "mature women" rather than townsfolk or courtesans was groundbreaking. Exploring the inner thoughts of these mature women...
