The Courtesan Takigawa of the Ogiya

The Courtesan Takigawa of Ogiya (from the series A Selection of Beautiful Women of the East) Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, 1754 - 1806) c. 1798 1930.219	Takigawa was one of the most beautiful courtesans of the Ogiya, “House of Fans” brothel, one of the most prestigious in the Yoshiwara. Utamaro who lived at the entrance to the Yoshiwara, frequented this house and probably knew this beauty, a high ranking courtesan. Binjin-ga, “beautiful women” were one of the most popular subjects of traditional prints and a favorite of Utamaro who worked during the 1790s, at the golden era of printmaking. Takigawa is adorned with the latest fashion of the day and smokes a tabacco pipe, popular among men and women. The style of the print recalls the traditional figure painting style that originated in the 11th and 12th century. Simple outlines for the head, eyes and mouth were filled-in with color. Since print artists were trained as painters, the style easily migrated to the print medium. Utamaro invented the okubi-e (“bust portraits”) emphasizing the head and shoulders of his subjects rather than the silhouette of the full-length figure.
Portrait of a Woman Gion Seitoku (Japanese, 1781 - 1829?) 1800s 1985.271	The identity of this woman is unknown. She may have been a courtesan in the Gion, Kyotos liscened brothel district. The artist is said to have been a proprietor of an establishment in the Gion. She is stylishly dressed and coiffured. The white make-up and irrisdecent green lip gloss were the height of fashion. In addition, women darkened their teeth, contrasting with the white color. The subtle modeling of the womans features creates a a degree of realism not generally observed in Japanese-style painting. The style suggest that he may have been influenced by other Kyoto-based painters working in a realistic style. His interest in the accurate portrayal of subjects was recognized by a Kyoto physician who commissioned him to create anatomical drawings for a medical book published in 1797.

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