Young Lady and Matron, from "Girls of Fukagawa - A Triptych (Fukagawa musume sanpukutsui)"

Art Historical Context

Torii Kiyomitsu I (1693–1756), a master of the Torii school, created *Young Lady and Matron* around the 1750s as part of the triptych *Girls of Fukagawa (Fukagawa musume sanpukutsui)*. This intimate woodblock print captures two elegant women from the vibrant Fukagawa district of Edo (modern Tokyo), a riverside area famed for its teahouses, festivals, and pleasure quarters. Kiyomitsu's work embodies the ukiyo-e tradition—"pictures of the floating world"—celebrating fleeting pleasures and beauty amid urban life during Japan's Edo period. Printed in the narrow hosoban format (28.3 × 14 cm), this benizuri-e employs an early color technique using safflower red (beni) outlines filled with subtle blues and greens, hand-applied for a soft, glowing effect before full-color nishiki-e prints emerged. The Torii school's bold lines and dynamic poses highlight the figures' graceful kimonos and poised expressions, blending realism with stylized charm. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia collection, this print offers a window into 18th-century Japanese society, where bijin-ga (images of beautiful women) like these idealized courtesans or townsfolk symbolized cultural allure and transience. A testament to woodblock printing's innovation, it invites visitors to appreciate the artistry that made ukiyo-e a global sensation.

About the Artist

Torii Kiyomitsu I · 1735–1785

Japanese, 1735–1785