Courtisane Hitomachi uit het Tsutaya huis met haar kamuro Sanae en Matsuyo 1778 - 1782

This ukiyo-e print depicts a high-ranking courtesan named Hitomachi accompanied by two young attendants. The print was made by Torii Kiyonaga, an influential artist of the late 18th century in Japan. In this period, prints of beautiful women were very popular, but Kiyonaga distinguished himself by portraying his subjects as strong and statuesque. The women's elaborate attire and stylized poses were designed to appeal to wealthy merchants and samurai classes, who were the main consumers of ukiyo-e prints. Here, the grouping of a courtesan and her young attendants reflects the social hierarchies of the pleasure quarters, but Kiyonaga’s choice to portray the women as confident figures, rather than passive objects, challenges conventional representations. This print offers a glimpse into the complex intersections of gender, class, and desire that shaped urban life in Edo-period Japan.