Utagawa Toyokuni – Girl with Iris

Description

Girl with Iris
by Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825) Hakone Art Museum

The majority of pictures of beauties of the Edo period (1615-1868) portray courtesans. This is a rare instance of a picture in which the artist has put emphasis on capturing the innocence of a young girl. She is probably the daughter of a well-to-do family of standing. This is suggested by the rather sparing use of hair-ornaments in the otherwise elaborate coiffure, and the shape of the leng sleeves of the kimono, with its restrained color pattern.

The irises she is carrying may indicate that she is about to start arranging flowers, an art much studied by girls of good family. The irises and the round fan she also holds tell us that it is early summer, and the thin kimono she wears allows the undergarment to glimpse through. On the fan the name of a Kabuki actor who was the idol of young girls like this one, is inscribed, and a lap-dog plays about the hem of her kimono, both signs that behind the girlish innocence a young woman is maturing. The artist, Toyokuni, excelled in Kabuki actors’ portraits; even in pictures of beauties, like this one, he shows a sharp eye for pose.

Printed in Japan