The Courtesan Takigawa of the Ogiya with Her Attendants Onami and Menami, from the series "Models for Fashion: New Designs as Fresh as Young Leaves (Hinagata wakana no hatsu moyo)"

Art Historical Context

Torii Kiyonaga's *The Courtesan Takawa of the Ogiya Her Attendants Onami Menami* (1783) is a vibrant color woodblock print from his *Models for Fashion: Designs as Fresh as Young*, celebrating the latest kimono styles in Edo-period Japan. As a master of ukiyo-e—the "pictures of the floating world"—iyonaga captured the glamorous world of Yoshiwara courtesans, who were cultural icons akin to modern celebrities. Here, the elegant Takigawa, flanked by attendants Onami and Menami, poses in luxurious robes, showcasing intricate patterns that doubled as fashion advertisements for everyday women aspiring to high style. Printed in the large oban format (38.3 × 25.9 cm), this work exemplifies the technical brilliance of woodblock printing, where multiple carved blocks were inked in vibrant hues and layered for rich color depth—a revolutionary process that made art accessible to the masses. Kiyonaga's fluid lines and graceful figures elevated bijin-ga (beautiful women) prints, blending realism with idealization to evoke poise and sensuality. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia department, this print offers a window into 18th-century Japan's thriving print culture, where fashion, theater, and pleasure intertwined, influencing global perceptions of Japanese aesthetics.

About the Artist

Torii Kiyonaga · 1752–1815

Torii Kiyonaga, born Sekiguchi Shinsuke in 1752 in Uraga, Sagami Province, was the son of an Edo bookseller who owned tenements near a bustling fish market. At age 14 in 1765, he began his apprenticeship under Torii Kiyomitsu, the third-generation head of the prestigious Torii school of ukiyo-e, renowned for kabuki theater illustrations and signage. Adopted into the Torii family, Kiyonaga succeede...