Fujin Tomari-kyaku no Zu

Ukiyo-e art flourished in Japan during the Edo period from the 17th to 19th centuries, and took as its primary subjects courtesans, kabuki actors, and others associated with the "floating world" lifestyle of the pleasure districts.

[2] A prominent genre was bijin-ga ("pictures of beauties"), which depicted most often courtesans and geisha at leisure, and promoted the entertainments of the pleasure districts.

[4] Utamaro experimented with line, colour, and printing techniques to bring out subtle differences in the features, expressions, and backdrops of subjects from a wide variety of class and background.

Outside in the centre stands a woman changing into nightclothes, and behind her to the right an servant folds a tomesode, a ceremonial black kimono worn by married women.

To the left sits a woman of apparent middle age; her eyebrows are shaved off, indicating she is married.