Kitagawa Utamaro

Hiding a letter (Fumi-kakushi) c. 1801–04
colour woodblock print
Collection of Cressida Campbell

Cressida Campbell:

Utamaro and Hokusai are my favourite ukiyo-e artists. Utamaro for his brilliant drawings of women and Hokusai for his bold, originally composed landscapes as well as his humble working figures.

I bought this in a shop in Kyoto in 2007. A print scholar and shop seller sat cross-legged in a small room on a raised wooden flat shelf covered in a Tatami mat. He brought out many ukiyo-e prints to show us. Utamaro prints are very rare: we bought this print and an image of a woman with a dish.