The Farmer (No) from the series Beauties Illustrating the Four Social Classes (Adesugata shi no ko sho)

Art Historical Context

In the late Edo period, Torii Kiyonaga (1752–1815), a leading ukiyo-e artist renowned for his elegant bijin-ga (images of beautiful women), created *The Farmer (No)* around 1779 as part of his series *Beauties Illustrating the Four Social (Adesugata shi no ko sho)*. This color woodblock print captures a graceful woman embodying the farmer class—one of Japan's traditional four social strata (samurai, farmers, artisans, and merchants). Kiyonaga's work reflects the "floating world" culture of urban pleasure districts, where idealized beauties transcend rigid class boundaries, blending everyday life with fantasy. Printed in the compact koban format (20.7 × 15.1 cm), this intimate-scale piece was affordable and popular among commoners, allowing widespread appreciation of ukiyo-e artistry. Kiyonaga's mastery shines in his refined lines, subtle gradations of color achieved through multiple woodblocks, and a sense of poised elegance that defined his mature style during the 1770s–80s "Kiyonaga age" of printmaking. Held in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia collection, *The Farmer* highlights ukiyo-e's cultural role in democratizing beauty and satire, offering a window into 18th-century Japan's social harmony and aesthetic refinement. Visitors will delight in its delicate poise and vivid hues, evoking the era's harmonious blend of tradition and allure.

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...