A Young Woman Teaching a Boy to Read
Hasegawa Mitsunobu
Description
Subject Matter:
Hasegawa Mitsunobu is a printmaker from Osaka. Common in most of history, only the top of the social class could partake in indulging in art, reading, and writing. Japan is no exception to that rule, but also included women more than other histories of western countries. As managers of households and caretakers of children, wealthy women would also be versed in literature. As we can see here, that skill is being put into practice on a young boy.
Physical Description:
This monochrome print depicts two people. One is an adult woman on the left sitting down and leaning over to a young boy who lies stomach down on the floor. The boy is looking at a book while the woman appears to teach him how to read. They are inside a building with bare rooms. Behind them is a stack of books and a table. To the left of the boy, is a toy lying on the ground.
Usage Rights:
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.