Bijin-ga Prints (1154)
Bijin-ga — literally "pictures of beautiful people" — is one of the foundational genres of Japanese woodblock printmaking. The tradition dates to the earliest days of ukiyo-e, when artists like Hishikawa Moronobu and later Kitagawa Utamaro elevated portrayals of women from simple illustrations to sophisticated studies of beauty, fashion, and personality. Utamaro's bust portraits of the 1790s, which isolated individual faces against plain backgrounds, were revolutionary in their psychological depth and compositional daring. His contemporaries Chobunsai Eishi and Torii Kiyonaga developed complementary approaches, emphasizing graceful full-length figures in elaborate settings. The genre documented the changing ideals of feminine beauty across centuries, from the rounded features favored in the Edo period to the elongated elegance of the Meiji era. The shin-hanga revival of the early twentieth century produced a final flowering of bijin-ga, with artists like Ito Shinsui, Torii Kotondo, and Hashiguchi Goyo creating some of the genre's most refined works. These artists brought Western-influenced light and shadow to traditional subjects, producing prints that are among the most sought-after in the Japanese print market today. Bijin-ga prints are prized for their technical virtuosity, particularly the rendering of fabric patterns, hair arrangements, and subtle skin tones achieved through multiple woodblock impressions.
Artists Known for Bijin-ga
Bijin Applying Makeup (descriptive title)
1897
Woodblock print
Beauty and Cherry Blossom — Yusan-bune
1899
Woodblock print
Beauty and Autumn Garden
1904
Woodblock print
Seven Bijin in a Bamboo Forest — 竹林七美人図
Not set
Woodblock print
Bijin on an Engawa
Not set
Woodblock print
Bijin on a Crane
Not set
Woodblock print
Maiko — 舞妓
Not set
Woodblock print
Young Bijin in Kimono
Not set
Woodblock print
Woman holding a Noh mask
circa 1970-1990
Woodblock print
Woman in pink kimono doing her hair
Japanese, Taishô era, 20th century
Woodblock print
Woman in Red-Orange Under-Kimono
Japanese, Taishô era, 20th century
Woodblock print
Bijin in Kimono (1)
Woodblock print
Bijin Waitress (1)
Woodblock print
Woman Calendar Big, Beauty in the Offing (3/50)
Woodblock print
Bijin Bust
Woodblock print
MAIKO (Winter)
Woodblock print
Bijin and sparrow
Woodblock print
Beauty and Nandina
Woodblock print
Bijin Reclining
Woodblock print
Bijin
Woodblock print
Beauty
Woodblock print
Bijin 1
Woodblock print
Woman in Snow
Woodblock print
Maiko — 舞
Woodblock print
Beauty with Fan
Woodblock print
Maiko - 舞子
Woodblock print
Bijin and Dragonfly (1)
Woodblock print
A Modern Bijin (1)
Woodblock print
Maiko
1924
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper with mica
Actor Nakamura Senjaku II as the Courtesan Osome
November 1987
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Actor Nakamura Utaemon VI as the Courtesan Chitose-dayū
March 1989
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Preparing to Take a Stroll: A Married Woman in the Meiji Period
1888
Woodblock print
Two Bijin in Spring
Woodblock print
Whispering beauties
Woodblock print
Work No.1 White (Woman in White) 22/80
1981
Woodblock print
Bijin in Snow - 雪中美人
Woodblock print
Modern Beauties: Tipsy
現代美人集 ほろ酔い
1930
Color woodblock print
Returning woman in an autumn evening — Tasogare
Woodblock print
Reclining Beauty
Woodblock print
Bijin at Nihonbashi — 日本橋美人
Not set
Woodblock print
Woman in a Tree Grove - 木立の女
1910
Woodblock print
Woman in Kimono
early 20th century
Graphite on paper
Woman with Uto Bird
1956
Woodblock print
Woman Holding a Baby
Woodblock print
Bijin with Umbrella
Woodblock print
Geisha
Woodblock print
Woman with fan
1969
Stencil on paper; edition 18/50
Western Lamp, Foreigner, and Courtesan
20th century
Color woodblock print
Maiko — 舞妓
Woodblock print
Bijin Contemplating
Woodblock print
Geisha - 1
Woodblock print
Summer Bijin (1)
Woodblock print
Bijin and Wood Carver (1)
Woodblock print
Woman at the Bath
浴場の女
1915
Color woodblock print
Woman Combing Her Hair
髪梳きの女
c. 1920
Color woodblock print
Woman Holding a Towel
手拭いを持つ女
1920
Color woodblock print
Woman in Summer Kimono
夏衣の女
1920
Color woodblock print
Woman with Hairpin
簪の女
1918
Color woodblock print
Woman with Hand Towel
手拭の女
1920
Color woodblock print
Bijin writing a poem V2
Not set
Woodblock print
Related Subjects
Frequently Asked Questions
Bijin-ga — literally "pictures of beautiful people" — is one of the foundational genres of Japanese woodblock printmaking. The tradition dates to the earliest days of ukiyo-e, when artists like Hishikawa Moronobu and later Kitagawa Utamaro elevated portrayals of women from simple illustrations to sophisticated studies of beauty, fashion, and personality.
Torii Kotondo, Hashiguchi Goyo, and Ito Shinsui are among the artists most associated with bijin-ga in our collection. Browse the full list of artists who explored this subject above.
Hanga currently catalogues 1154 prints tagged with bijin-ga, spanning ukiyo-e, shin-hanga, and sōsaku-hanga traditions where applicable.