The First Day of Business (Akinai hajime), from the illustrated book "Colors of the Triple Dawn (Saishiki mitsu no asa)"
c. 1787
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban, page from an illustrated book
Dimensions
26.1 × 38.8 cm (10 5/16 × 15 5/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
93001
Art Historical Context
Torii Kiyonaga's *The First Day of Business (Akinai hajime)*, created around 1787, captures the vibrant energy of Edo-period Japan in a color woodblock print from the illustrated book *Colors of the Triple Dawn (Saishiki mitsu no asa)*. As a master of the ukiyo-e tradition—literally "pictures of the floating world"—Kiyonaga specialized in depicting graceful women and everyday urban scenes, blending the refined Kamigata style with bold Edo aesthetics. This oban-sized page (26.1 × 38.8 cm) showcases his signature elongated figures and harmonious compositions, evoking the bustling streets of 18th...
About the Artist
Torii Kiyonaga · 1752–1815
Torii Kiyonaga, born Sekiguchi Shinsuke in 1752 in Uraga, Sagami Province, was the son of an Edo bookseller who owned tenements near a bustling fish market. At age 14 in 1765, he began his apprenticeship under Torii Kiyomitsu, the third-generation head of the prestigious Torii school of ukiyo-e, renowned for kabuki theater illustrations and signage. Adopted into the Torii family, Kiyonaga succeede...