Background Utamaro's pictures of abalone divers

sugatami shichinin keshō, utamaro, c. 1792–93

ukiyo-e art flourished in japan during edo period 17th 19th centuries, , took primary subjects courtesans, kabuki actors, , others associated floating world lifestyle of pleasure districts. alongside paintings, mass-produced woodblock prints major form of genre. in mid-18th century full-colour nishiki-e prints became common, printed using large number of woodblocks, 1 each colour. prominent genre bijin-ga ( pictures of beauties ), depicted courtesans , geisha @ leisure, , promoted entertainments of pleasure districts.

kitagawa utamaro (c. 1753–1806) made name in 1790s bijin ōkubi-e ( large-headed pictures of beautiful women ) portraits, focusing on head , upper torso. experimented line, colour, , printing techniques bring out subtle differences in features, expressions, , backdrops of subjects wide variety of class , background. utamaro s individuated beauties in sharp contrast stereotyped, idealized images had been norm.

ama

ama divers have 2 thousand years practised trade of diving shellfish, seaweed, , pearls off coasts of japan. traditionally dive naked except waistcloth , cord 1 end above water. carry knife pry open shells. ama once numbered many thousands, beginning of 21st century thousand remained. though depicted in youth in ukiyo-e pictures, ama lifetime job continued woman s fities.

ama known coarse manners, , work coarsened skin. in great contrast geishas , courtesans subject of ukiyo-e art—their manners refined, dressed elegantly, immersed in high art , culture, , commanded high prices services. ama perceived less feminine, socially , sexually free. utamaro , others played these contrasts, portraying ama in elegant, resting poses did geisha, nude , unkempt in work environment. while utamaro s supple, enrgetic, , vigorously healthy ama come across in way erotic, depictions of them differ sexually explicit shunga. has been speculated such prints of women appeared nude in broad daylight may have arisen in reaction government suppression of shunga.

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