The Faddish Type from the series Ten Types in the Physiognomy of Women

The pose in which Utamaro presents this beauty is typical of Japanese painting and prints. The three-quarter face is rendered with the simple outline of the eyebrow and cheek, a single line for the nose, narrow eyes, and half-parted, petal-like lips. Not the likeness of a specific individual, the print instead portrays a particular mood or character. The pink mica background was created by covering the image of the woman with a stencil and then brushing mica mixed with pink color and an adhesive onto the background. The print comes from a series that represents women from different classes.

Credit: Bequest of Edward L. Whittemore