A half-dressed courtesan lifts a slender pick to her lips

A woman is shown half-length against a plain yellow ground, her upswept hair fixed with a long pin and combs. Her dark outer robe, patterned with a white lattice, slips open at the shoulder to reveal a red under-robe printed with white ring dots, baring one shoulder and breast. She lifts a slender pale pick toward her lips with curled fingers. A green title cartouche sits at upper left, with the artist's vertical signature and a seal beneath it at left.

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.