Utamaro's Yamauba Series: A Balancing Act of Aesthetics and Taboo
2025-04-10
Kitagawa Utamaro's *Yamauba* series presents a paradoxical image of the Yamauba: untamed eyebrows and hair suggest her outcast status, yet fine robes and delicate features soften her monstrous origins. Some scholars interpret this as a way to subtly convey sensuality while evading censorship, pointing to a few images with exposed breasts. However, this interpretation overlooks the majority of the series, which aren't overtly erotic, and Utamaro's history of publishing more explicit works. His eventual punishment stemmed from political content, not explicitness, highlighting the complex censorship of the time and the delicate balance between artistic expression and societal taboos.