85 Kitagawa Utamaro 1753 – 1806 Portrait of a Courtesan (Aizuri-e Blue Variation)

Japan, early to mid-20th century (after an original late 18th-century design)

This highly decorative print depicts a classic portrait of a high-ranking courtesan (oiran), looking over her shoulder with an elaborate hairstyle adorned with numerous long hairpins (kanzashi). Although it bears the signature of the famous master Kitagawa Utamaro, this is a fascinating 20th-century collector's edition. The print is intentionally executed in the aizuri-e (literally "blue printed picture") style, utilizing exclusively delicate shades of blue. Because Prussian blue pigment did not dominate Japanese commercial woodblock printing until the 1830s—decades after Utamaro's death in 1806—original Utamaro designs were never historically produced in this strictly monochromatic blue palette. However, during the early to mid-20th century, major Japanese publishers produced high-quality, newly carved reproductions (fukukoku) of Edo-period masterpieces, intentionally printing select designs in blue tones to heighten their aesthetic impact. This was done to create visually striking, moody works that appealed to modern sensibilities. Today, these "fanciful" blue variations of classic woodblock prints are highly prized for their unique atmosphere and excellent 20th-century printing craftsmanship.