Strolling Courtesan c. 1796

Katsushika Hokusai's "Strolling Courtesan" (c. 1796) is a beautiful depiction of a high-ranking courtesan in Edo-period Japan. The minimalist style, using washes of ink and color, is typical of Hokusai's later works. The single figure of the woman, partially obscured by her wide-sleeved kimono, and the solitary lantern in the background, create a sense of isolation and elegance. Hokusai, renowned for his landscape and woodblock prints, captures the beauty of everyday life with a sense of quietude and poetic grace.