Utamaro Kitagawa

• Kitao Shigemaru was one of the most famous masters of Japanese ukiyo-e. He was renowned for his portraits of beautiful women. Born into a farming family in Edo (now Tokyo), he is considered the founder of the "ōkubi-e" style, which is characterized by close-up portraits of the face and bust. Shigemaru had a deep sympathy for those at the lower rungs of society, including the kabuki actors and poor women of Osaka, and he used delicate and elegant brushwork to create many beautiful women portraits focusing on their heads. He endeavored to explore the unique beauty of women’s inner worlds.

• relevant artists

  • Kunisada Utagawa

    Kunisada Utagawa, an ukiyo-e artist in the Edo period. He is Utagawa Toyokuni III.

  • Hokusai Katsushika

    Hokusai Katsushika, Ukiyo-e artist in the late Edo period. One of his representative works is The Great Wave off Kanagawa.