Miyahito of the Ogiya, Whose Assistants Are Tsubaki and Shirabe - Kitagawa Utamaro
Archival giclée
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Description
A classic ukiyo-e portrait by Kitagawa Utamaro, featuring Miyahito of the Ogiya house rendered with elegant, minimalist line work.
This woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro depicts Miyahito, a high-ranking courtesan from the Ogiya house. Utamaro is recognised for his contribution to the bijin-ga genre, which focuses on portraits of beautiful women. This specific work belongs to a series that documents the celebrated figures of the Yoshiwara pleasure district during the Edo period.
Utamaro employs a minimalist aesthetic in this composition. The figure is rendered with clean, fluid lines that define the silhouette of her kimono and the elaborate structure of her hairstyle. By stripping away the background, the artist directs the viewer's attention to the subject's facial expression and posture. The subtle use of line weight provides a sense of volume to the fabric, while the sparse application of detail allows the paper itself to function as a primary element of the design.
The print captures the poise associated with the courtesans of the time. Miyahito is shown in a three-quarter profile, a common technique in Utamaro's work to suggest a sense of psychological depth. The inclusion of her name and those of her assistants, Tsubaki and Shirabe, serves to identify the specific social hierarchy within the Ogiya establishment. This print is an example of the artist's ability to balance technical precision with the cultural demands of the ukiyo-e market, where such portraits functioned as both fashion plates and celebrity imagery for the urban population of Edo.
As a museum-grade fine art print, this reproduction maintains the integrity of the original woodblock lines. The muted palette and focus on form make it a suitable choice for those interested in the history of Japanese printmaking and the development of portraiture in the late eighteenth century.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
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Manufacturing
Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Miyahito of the Ogiya, Whose Assistants Are Tsubaki and Shirabe - Kitagawa Utamaro
Artist Biography
Kitagawa Utamaro
Almost nothing is certain about his early life. He was born around 1753, possibly in Edo, possibly in Kyoto, possibly in Kawagoe. He began publishing prints in the 1770s under the guidance of the publisher Tsutaya Juzaburo, who recognised what Utamaro could do with a portrait of a woman.
What he could do was unprecedented. He invented the okubi-e format: large head-and-shoulders portraits of individual women, mostly from the Yoshiwara pleasure district, printed in close-up with minimal background. Before Utamaro, bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women) showed groups of figures in full length. He isolated the face, the tilt of the head, the expression. The prints are psychologically specific in a way that had not existed in Japanese printmaking.
He also published books of insect studies and volumes of shunga (erotica), and he made portraits of ordinary town women, not just courtesans. Ohisa and Okita, two shopgirls who appeared in his Three Beauties of the Present Day, became famous across Edo because of his prints. He turned real people into celebrities, which may be the first documented instance of an artist functioning as a kind of media platform.
Tsutaya Juzaburo died in 1797. Utamaro was reportedly devastated. Some critics feel his work never reached the same level afterward. He produced over two thousand prints in his career.
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