Woman Exhaling Smoke from a Pipe, from the series "Ten Classes of Women’s Physiognomy (Fujo ninso juppon)"
c. 1792/93
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
38.8 × 25.3 cm (15 5/16 × 10 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
8185
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1603–1868), Kitagawa Utam (1753–1806) captured the allure of everyday beauty through his masterful ukiyo woodblock prints. *Woman Exhaling Smoke from Pipe* belongs to his renowned series *Ten Classes of Women’s Physiogn (Fujo ninso juppon)*, created around 1792–93. This oban-sized color woodblock print (38.8 × 25.3 cm) depicts a poised woman in a moment of quiet indulgence, her delicate features and flowing kimono embodying Utamaro's signature bijin-ga style—elegant portraits of beautiful women that celebrated the "floating world" of urban pleasures. ...
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...