The Secret Hidden in Ukiyo-e
"Bijin-ga" is a major genre of ukiyo-e (Japanese woodblock prints) that depicts beautiful women. However, the women depicted in bijin-ga, like the artists who created them, lived between the world of elegance and the vulgar reality. During the Edo period, the top artists studied under the Kanō and Tosa schools, painting screens for generals and walls for temples. Many of the less successful artists were exiles from these schools, and they turned to ukiyo-e to please the common people. These images of beauties were often modeled by courtesans and kabuki actors. Once the prints were made, they were sold to the general public to hang on walls at home. While the artists used the models for self-promotion, these images were essentially the star posters of the Edo period and were not purchased every day by anyone.
