Utamaro

orig. Kitagawa Nebsuyoshi

(born 1753, Japan—died Oct. 31, 1806, Edo) Japanese printmaker and painter. He moved from a provincial town to Edo (now Tokyo) in his youth; his early work included many illustrated books. One of the greatest artists, he is known especially for his masterfully composed portraits of sensuous female beauties. Unlike other ukiyo-e artists, who favoured prints of women in groups, Utamaro concentrated on half-length single portraits.

Find more information on Utamaro. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on Utamaro.