About the Author-Illustrator

Torii Kiyonaga, original name Sekiguchi Shinsuke, (born 1752, Sagami Province, Japan—died June 28, 1815, Edo [Tokyo]), one of the most important Japanese artists of the Ukiyo-e movement (paintings and wood-block prints of the “floating world”).

He was the pupil of Torii Kiyomitsu and for a time headed the Torii school. So great, however, was his loyalty to the Torii family that he made his own son, a young painter with promise, stop painting in order not to interfere with the career of his master’s nephew Torii Kiyomine.

Kiyonaga concentrated on the depiction of famous beauties. He designed many large nishiki-e, or polychrome prints, in diptych (two-panel) and triptych (three-panel) formats. Women in his prints were tall and stately, drawn with elegantly graceful lines in a realistic style.