Kobayakawa Kiyoshi 小早 川清 (1897-1948) painted this Japanese woman. The Japanese artist produced several pictures of women in daily situations. This one shows a woman applying her makeup. It is a very beautiful and graceful scene. The woodblock print is the second of his ukiyo-e series called: Fashions of the Modern World. Makeup. 近代時世粧ノ内 二 化粧 . As written in the subtitle of the picture.
Source: Museum of Fine Arts in Boston
This woodblock print shows the “Kashima Dance of the Floating World” 鹿島浮世踊 made by Kitao Shigemasa 北尾重政 (1739-1820), published in the 1760’s. It shows a ritual dance, performed by several dancers in a circle or a square carrying instruments like cymbals, drums, sticks and paper fans.
Source: Museum of Fine Arts
Utagawa Toyoharu 歌川豊春 (c. 1735-1814) painted a series of ukiyo-e called The Fashionable Six Jewel Rivers 風流六玉川. This one is showing the Jewel River of Bush Clover 萩 in Yamashiro, a historical province located in today’s south of Kyôto. These jewel rivers or crystal rivers were painted by ukiyo-e artists often. You clearly see an influence of Suzuki Harunobu 鈴木 春信 (c. 1725-1770) in the style of this woodblock print.
Source: MFA Boston
Japan Kaleidoskop 