Untitled work by Ogata Gekko

A woodblock print by Ogata Gekkō, possibly depicting a court or aristocratic figure in classical Japanese dress, a subject type Gekkō treated in numerous prints drawing on Heian-period literary and visual culture. Scenes from the Tale of Genji and other classical sources provided compositional opportunities to render the layered robes of the Heian court, the architectural settings of the imperial palace, and the emotional register of classical narrative in the nishiki-e woodblock format. The print may show a court lady — identifiable by her layered robe arrangement and formal hairstyle — within an architectural interior or garden setting. Color blocks build up the intricate layering of robe surfaces and the atmospheric qualities of court interior or garden backgrounds. Such prints served both as narrative illustration and as decorative objects celebrating the classical literary heritage that Meiji-era urban consumers were encouraged to valorize.