Kitagawa Utamaro

Kitagawa Utamaro is one of Japan's most famous ukiyo-e artists and is particularly renowned for his depictions of women, known as bijinga. He worked in Edo (now Tokyo) from the 1770s until his death, creating over 2,000 works, mainly woodblock prints but also drawings and paintings. Utamaro often depicted life in the Yoshiwara entertainment district – with scenes from parties, processions, music and everyday activities behind the paper-covered sliding doors. One of his last major works was the illustrated book The Green Houses Chronicle (1804), which describes life in Yoshiwara in two parts. His art was highly appreciated in Europe during the 19th century, especially in France, where it influenced the Impressionists and contributed to the Japanese influence known as Japonism.