A courtesan rides a giant carp through cresting waves

A courtesan dressed as the immortal Kinko sits astride an enormous black carp breaking through foaming waves, unrolling a paper scroll in her hands. Her cherry-blossom-patterned white robe and peach outer kimono trail over the fish's scaled back. A cartouche at upper left names the series and a label the sitter, with the artist's signature and round seals at lower left. From Eight Immortals in the Art of Love, likening Yoshiwara courtesans to Daoist immortals.

Kitagawa Utamaro (c. 1753–1806) defined the ukiyo-e portrait of women. Working with the publisher Tsutaya Jūzaburō in the 1790s, he introduced the ōkubi-e, or large-head print, which brought the viewer close enough to read a glance or a gesture, and he gave the beauties of the Yoshiwara district individual faces and names. Mica grounds, transparent textiles and fine line work made his prints the most refined of their day. His work is held by the British Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Printed as a museum-grade giclée on Hahnemühle fine art paper using 12-ink archival pigment printing. Available handframed in FSC-certified wood with optional float glass, or unframed. Ships worldwide with free delivery to 30+ countries.