Edo Geisha, from the series "A Guide to Women's Contemporary Styles (Tosei onna fuzoku tsu)"
c. 1801/02
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
38.6 × 25.1 cm (15 1/4 × 9 7/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
36331
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan with *Edo Geisha*, a stunning color woodblock print by the renowned artist Kitagawa Utamaro created around 1801/02. This oban-sized work (38.6 × 25.1 cm) is part of the series *A Guide to Women's Styles (Tosei onna fuzoku tsu)*, which captures the fashionable elegance of women in early 19th-century Tokyo (then Edo). Utamaro, a master of ukiyo—"pictures of the floating world"—specialized in bijin-ga, intimate portraits of beautiful women that blend sensuality with psychological depth. Utamaro's genius shines in his meticulous techniques: intricat...
About the Artist
Kitagawa Utamaro · 1753–1806
Kitagawa Utamaro (c. 1753-1806) was one of the most celebrated masters of ukiyo-e woodblock printing, revolutionizing the art of bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women) during Japan's Edo period. Born Kitagawa Ichitaro, his early life remains shrouded in mystery, with conflicting accounts placing his birth in Kyoto, Osaka, Yoshiwara in Edo (modern Tokyo), or Kawagoe in Musashi Province. Under the t...