Untitled 

This is an undated print by Kiyokata Kaburagi, a Japanese artist who worked in the 20th century. It shows a woman in traditional dress carrying a lantern, with autumn leaves scattered around her feet. Kaburagi was known for his *bijin-ga*, images of beautiful women. These prints looked back to older traditions, but were also shaped by the social changes of modernizing Japan. The *bijin-ga* genre was influenced by the commercialization of art and the rise of a consumer culture that catered to the middle class. This print romanticizes the past but it also participates in the image culture of its time. By studying prints like this one, and looking at other kinds of sources like magazines, posters, and photographs, we can learn a lot about the cultural history of 20th century Japan. This helps us understand the role of images in shaping identities and values.