Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Woman with a Cat on the Table
From $100
This woodblock print is soft greys with the cats’ black, white and orange, and a cheap copy flattens the fur. Our Kuniyoshi Four Cats print was graded from a high-resolution scan so every whisker and patch stays crisp.
Canvas, framed or paper
Stretched canvas. Printed on cotton canvas and stretched taut over a frame. The edges are mirror-wrapped, so the picture continues around the sides and none of it is lost to the fold.
Framed canvas. The same canvas, set in a black, white, natural wood or dark wood frame 0.83 in deep. The frame gives the work a finished edge and a little more presence on the wall.
Framed print. Printed on fine art matte paper and framed in solid pine, behind shatterproof plexiglass, in black, white, natural wood or dark wood. It arrives ready to hang. Framed sizes are measured on the outside of the frame.
Fine art print. Printed on 310gsm fine art matte paper, for framing your own way. It travels rolled and protected. From 18x24 inch.
Sizes
12x18 inch, 16x24 inch, 20x30 inch, 24x36 inch. Framed sizes are measured on the outside of the frame, so the visible painting is a little smaller.
On your wall
Its tall shape suits a kitchen, a hallway or a child’s room, and it is a favourite for cat lovers. The greys and blacks look sweet with white, blush and pale oak, and a natural or white frame suits it.
About the painting
Four Cats: Proverbs Illustrated by Cats by Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Edo, 1852
Utagawa Kuniyoshi loved cats. They ran all over his studio, and his pupil Yoshimune said he kept a Buddhist altar at home for the ones that had died.
Sayings
In 1852 he made a triptych of cats acting out Japanese proverbs, each one playing a saying like “bonito to a cat” or “a coin to a cat”. This sheet shows four of them.
Texture
Their coats were printed with blind embossing, so the fur has a texture you can almost feel. The sheet is signed Ichiyūsai Kuniyoshi.
Read the story
Four cats play on a soft grey ground, each one acting out an old saying.
Kuniyoshi loved cats. They ran all over his studio, and one of his pupils said he kept a little Buddhist altar at home for the cats that had died.
In 1852 he made a set of three prints called Proverbs Illustrated by Cats. On each one, cats act out old Japanese sayings: Bonito to a cat. A coin to a cat. Not even a cat would eat it.
This sheet shows four of them.
Look closely at their fur. It was printed with blind embossing, pressed into the paper without ink, so the coats have a texture you can almost feel.
The sheet is signed, Ichiyūsai Kuniyoshi, and it was published by Kagaya Yasubei.
Kuniyoshi drew cats all his life: cats as people, cats as ghosts, cats as the stations of the Tōkaidō road.
Find the cat with the fish, and then the one with the coin.
Four Cats, from Proverbs Illustrated by Cats. Utagawa Kuniyoshi, 1852.
How each piece is brought to life
Faithful to the original, and made to be felt on your wall.
Graded against the original
We compare every work with the original as we grade it, keeping the artist’s colours true while bringing back their depth and glow. Every mark stays the artist’s own.
Printed for you
Printed to order on cotton canvas or fine art paper, then framed if you chose a frame, in 1 to 3 business days.
On your wall
It arrives 5 to 12 business days later, tracked and free anywhere in the US. Framed pieces come ready to hang.
Questions
Is this the original painting?
No. The original hangs in a museum. What you receive is a fine art reproduction, remastered from the original and printed for you, with every mark where the artist left it.
Will the colour look flat?
This is where most reproductions disappoint, and it is where we spend the most time. Each work is graded side by side with the original: faithful to the artist’s colours, with the depth and warmth brought back, so it moves you on the wall the way it was meant to. Canvas reads a touch softer than a backlit screen, and every screen shows colour a little differently.
Will the edges be cropped?
Each size is a standard frame size, so we fit the painting by trimming a little from its edges. We never stretch or squash it, and we check every size by eye so no face, figure or signature is cut. On canvas the edges are mirror-wrapped, which keeps the whole picture on the front.
Which size is right for my wall?
Aim for about two-thirds the width of the furniture beneath it. Over a sofa or a sideboard, one of the two largest sizes will hold the wall. The size guide lists every size in inches and centimetres, with the kind of wall each one suits.
How long does it take?
Your piece is printed in 1–3 business days, then spends 5–12 business days in transit, tracked all the way. Delivery is free anywhere in the US. We are unable to deliver to PO boxes.
What if it arrives damaged?
Send us a photograph and we will remake it and send it again. There is nothing to return.
Can I return it?
Yes, within 30 days of delivery. Our returns policy has the details.
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Printed to order
Graded against the original, then printed for you on cotton canvas or fine art paper in 1–3 business days.
The whole painting
Every mark is the artist’s own, and canvas edges are mirror-wrapped so the whole picture stays on the front.
Free US shipping
On every order, tracked, 5–12 business days in transit.
30-day returns
Returns and exchanges within 30 days of delivery.
