Appearing Warm, Behavior of an Urban Widow of the Kansei Era

This 1888 nishiki-e print from the "Thirty-two Aspects of Women" series presents an urban widow of the Kansei era (1789–1801) who "appears warm"—suggesting an outwardly composed or welcoming manner that belies inner solitude. Yoshitoshi's series anthropologizes women across different historical periods, presenting the widowhood of the late eighteenth century with the same attentive specificity he brought to Meiji-era married women and Edo-period courtesans. The woman's plain dress and restrained expression speak to the societal constraints placed on widows.