Courtesan with a Client, Kitagawa Utamaro, 1799
color woodcut, h 253mm × w 383mm More details
Utamaro presented his courtesans and famous beauties of Edo (present-day Tokyo) in a sensuous and stylish manner that reflected aesthetic of iki, an Edo concept of beauty that emphasized coquetry, a fresh angle on conventional themes, lightness and suggestion. Rather than employing conventional poses and angles, Utamaro often captured moments of human action like instant snapshots.
