Two women glimpsed through a mosquito net's yellow lattice

One woman stands outside a yellow mosquito net while a second, inside, is seen through its crosshatched weave. The nearer figure, upswept hair pinned with combs, wears a pale robe patterned with fern fronds and holds an open fan; the woman inside, hair bound in a rounded chignon, turns to the right. A red cloth patterned with white dots hangs above, and pale green bamboo poles run vertically through the scene. A cartouche sits at upper left; the artist's signature and a red seal appear at lower 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.