Print 1786 - 1854

This print was created by Utagawa Kunisada, a leading printmaker in 19th century Japan. Kunisada lived in a time of social and economic change, and his art reflects the shifting cultural landscape of the Edo period. Here we see a woman in a black kimono overlooking a seascape, with the glow of a lantern illuminating her face. The woman's gaze extends past the boat in the right foreground, out to the horizon. Kunisada was known for his portraits of women, often depicting them as strong and independent figures. Here, the woman is not simply an object of beauty, but a figure with her own agency and desires. There is an emotional complexity in her expression, a sense of longing or anticipation. This print is a reflection of the changing roles of women in Japanese society during the Edo period, and the ways in which artists like Kunisada sought to capture these shifts in their work. The beauty of the natural world blends with human emotion.