Bijing-Ga series XXVII (Nº 27)
Title: Tomomoto Toyohina
Tomimoto Toyohina was a much sought-after geisha (entertainer) who performed narrative ballads accompanied by the shamisen. She was one of several non-prostitute beauties, including teahouse waitresses, whom Utamaro depicted repeatedly in the early to mid 1790s. She appears here with a brush in hand, dressed and combed with simple elegance.
This composition is from a six-print series comprising half-length portraits of famous beauties (Famous beauties of Edo).
Utamaro elevated Tomimoto Toyohina to the status of one of the three most renowned beauties of her age (together with Okita and Ohisa). She was from a prominent family of musicians that provided entertainment in the Yoshiwara. Toyohina’s appeal undoubtedly was as much due to her appearance as to her skills in singing, and Utamaro’s celebration of her would have further elevated the status of an already well-known lineage.
This image is part of the bijin-ga series (“Pretty women”) drawn by Mario BGil, based in the Kitigawa Utamaro woodblock print...
Category
2010s Edo Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsPaper, Crayon, Oil Crayon, Graphite