Artist: Utamaro Kitagawa (1754-1806) Title: Courtesan Karagoto from Tea House Choshiya Publisher: Maruya Bun'emon Date: late 18th century Size: 23.7 x 35.4 cm Condition: Trimmed. Discolouration. Thin areas and wear on the top and bottom corners. Small restored tear on the left. Light creases. No other master of ukiyo-e devoted himself so consistently and with such success to the portrayal of beautiful women as did Utamaro. Outstanding examples of his work are his master portraits of famous courtesans of Yoshiwara. These pictures reveal graceful and elegant ladies, with rich and elaborate garments, posed in such a way that also revealed the inner beauty of the sitter. Utamaro's predilection was for the use of bright, fresh colours, often on a mica-dust background. His favourite motifs were women at their everyday business, making themselves up, bathing, arranging their hair, walking in the garden, together with mothers with children, courtesans from the pleasure district, and pairs of lovers.