Catching Fireflies

Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, c. 1754–1806)

Title	Catching Fireflies
Artist	Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, c. 1754–1806)
Date	c. 1796–97
Medium	Triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper
Classification	Print
Origin	Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

Themes: Entomological plates

About this plate

“Catching Fireflies” is a work by Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, c. 1754–1806), dated c. 1796–97. It is executed in triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper and classified as print. In this archive it sits within the entomological plates tradition. This work is in the public domain (CC0), so the image may be downloaded and reused for any purpose without permission (see the licence note below).

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Rights: Public domain (CC0).

This work is in the public domain. You may download the image and use it for any purpose — personal or commercial — without permission or payment. No attribution is legally required.

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US vs EU note: in the United States a faithful photographic reproduction of a public-domain 2-D artwork carries no new copyright (Bridgeman v. Corel), which is the basis of these open-access programmes. EU Directive 2019/790 Art. 14 similarly provides that reproductions of public-domain visual works are not protected. If reusing commercially in another jurisdiction, satisfy yourself of the local position. See the full licence note.

Keep exploring

By the same hand

Picture Book: Selected Insects (Ehon mushi erabi) By the same artist
Catching Fireflies Beneath a Willow Tree (left) By the same artist
Catching Fireflies Beneath a Willow Tree (right) By the same artist
Catching Fireflies Beneath a Willow Tree (center) By the same artist
Kitagawa Utamaro ArtistEverything by Kitagawa Utamaro

The wider subject

Entomological plates ThemeThe history of entomological plates, illustrated

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