Courtesan or Kneeling Lady with Fan from the series Seasonal Poems Composed by Famous Women

In the 1790s, artist Kitagawa Utamaro reached the height of his fame, as he stopped designing prints for books, and shifted his focus to creating individual half-length portraits of women. This stylistic departure from the norm separated Utamaro’s prints from the works of most other ukiyo-e artists also creating series of women’s portraits.

Kneeling Lady with Fan is an excellent representation of Utamaro’s style during this time. The woman’s head appearing long, proportional to her body, amongst the lavish robes, and her elongated neck, demonstrate the beauty standard Utamaro created. The contrast of the woman’s hands and fan against the dark stripes of her clothing, along with the subject’s gaze directed down upon the fan, draws the viewer's attention to her action.