The Sixth Month (Minatsuki), from the series "Fashionable Twelve Months (Furyu juniko)"

Art Historical Context

Torii Kiyonaga *The Sixth Month (Minuki)*, created around 1779, is a charming color woodblock print from series *Fashionable Twelve (Furyu juniko)*. This koban-format work—measuring just 22.6 × 15.6 cm—captures refined beauty of women in summer attire, evoking the vibrant "floating world" (ukiyo) of Edo-period Japan. Minatsuki, the sixth month in the traditional lunar calendar (roughly June), likely depicts elegant figures enjoying seasonal leisure, showcasing Kiyonaga's signature bijin-ga style of graceful, elongated forms and harmonious compositions. As a master of the Torii school, Kiyonaga advanced ukiyo-e printing techniques, employing intricate woodblocks for vivid colors and subtle gradations that brought fashion and daily life to life. The compact koban size made these prints affordable and portable, popular among urban dwellers as fashionable keepsakes or gifts. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia department, this piece exemplifies 18th-century Japan's cultural obsession with transience and style, offering a window into the lives of courtesans and commoners alike. Its delicate artistry reminds us how woodblock prints democratized beauty for the masses.

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...