Kyoto: Courtesan of the Shimabara, from an untitled series of the three capitals c. 1820s - 1830s

This woodblock print by Yashima Gakutei, titled "Kyoto: Courtesan of the Shimabara," depicts a courtesan from the famous Shimabara district of Kyoto, a red-light district in the Edo period. The artist, known for his elegant depictions of women, captures the courtesan in a moment of quiet contemplation as she reads a letter. Her elaborate kimono, adorned with intricate patterns and motifs, speaks to her status and the opulent aesthetic of the time. The print, created between the 1820s and 1830s, is an example of ukiyo-e, a genre of Japanese art depicting the "floating world" of urban life and entertainment.