Best Bijin Ga

Kitagawa Utamaro’s “Three Beauties of the Present Day” is a significant woodcut from the Edo period. Created around 1793, it exemplifies *bijin-ga*, a genre focused on portraying fashionable women. The artwork showcases three prominent courtesans, reflecting social status and artistic skill within J...

Woman Applying Powder is a 1918 woodblock print by Japanese artist Hashiguchi Goyo, recognized as a masterpiece of the shin-hanga movement. The artwork portrays a woman kneeling and applying white powder to her neck, rendered with exceptionally delicate lines and subtle color gradations. Goyo superv...

Woman Wiping Sweat is a ukiyo-e woodblock print created around 1793 by the Japanese artist Kitagawa Utamaro. The portrait belongs to his acclaimed series Ten Physiognomies of Women, which explored the subtle expressions of female subjects from various social classes. Utamaro distinguishes the work t...

Utamaro’s “Three Beauties of the Present Day” (c.1793) is a significant Japanese woodcut from the Edo period. The artwork showcases three celebrated women, a style known as bijin-ga which became widely influential in ukiyo-e prints. These portraits established a recognizable format for depicting and...

"Before the Mirror" is a 1916 color woodblock print by Japanese artist Ito Shinsui. It depicts a geisha adjusting her hair and is a prominent example of bijin-ga, or images of beautiful women. This artwork marked Shinsui's first collaboration with publisher Watanabe Shozaburo, a partnership that bec...

"Young Woman Admiring a Snow Rabbit" is a woodblock print created around 1767 by the Japanese ukiyo-e artist Suzuki Harunobu. As an early example of full-color printing (nishiki-e), the artwork reflects Harunobu's focus on capturing the fleeting moments of ordinary urban life in Edo. The print depic...

Shinsui's 1952 Hair is a shin-hanga beauty print centered on a woman's flowing black hair, demonstrating the precision of collaborative printing.

"Cooling on the Riverside" is a woodblock print by Japanese ukiyo-e artist Torii Kiyonaga, dating to the late 18th century during the Edo period. Kiyonaga (1752–1815) was head of the Torii school of printmakers and one of the leading designers of bijin-ga, or pictures of beautiful women. The print s...

Kitagawa Utamaro’s “Ohisa of the Takashimaya” is a woodcut from around 1793. It portrays Ohisa, a renowned waitress at a Tokyo teahouse, showcasing Utamaro's skill in bijin-ga portraiture. The work exemplifies the Edo period’s fascination with idealized feminine beauty and is appreciated by art hist...

Itō Shinsui’s “Maiko” (1922) is a woodcut representing a young geisha apprentice. This piece exemplifies shin-hanga, a movement prioritizing traditional Japanese printmaking techniques and subject matter. The work showcases meticulous detail in the figure's clothing and expression, reflecting the be...

Itō Shinsui’s “Snow in Spring” (1922) is a Japanese woodcut depicting a woman amidst falling snow. This work exemplifies shin-hanga, a movement prioritizing traditional techniques while embracing modern subject matter. The piece showcases the artist's skill in figurative art and bijin-ga style portr...

Suzuki Harunobu’s “Girl Reading by Lamplight” is a woodcut from the Edo period (circa 1766). It depicts a young woman absorbed in reading under the soft glow of a lamp. This work is notable as an early example of *nishiki-e*, or full-color block printing, within Japanese art. Harunobu’s meticulous t...

Torii Kiyonaga’s “Bathing Scene” exemplifies ukiyo-e woodcut art from Japan's Edo period (circa 1783). This bijin-ga, or picture of beautiful women, showcases a complex composition within a bathhouse setting. Kiyonaga was a leading artist of the time and his work offers valuable insight into Japanes...