Beauties by a floor screen

Produced in his early 40s, Torii Kiyonaga created the series Jittai e-fuzoku (Ten forms of manner in pictures) as his last production of oban beauty portraits. Comparing to his works made in his thirties, this series shows less power but instead focused on expressing the fluidity of lines and the elegancy of the beauties. In this rare print, Kiyonaga depicted an intimacy moment of two courtesans. One dressed loosely, and the other was still in futon looking at her - a Yoshiwara's private behind-the-scenes glimpse full of delicacy.