Bijin-ga Prints (1084)
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
Harvard Art Museum
Woodblock print
Various artists
Woodblock print
Ohmi Gallery
Woodblock print
Untitled (hodo-nishimura)
Woodblock print
Before the Mirror
鏡の前
1911
Color woodblock print
Cooling Off
June 1925
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
No Series Dream
Woodblock print
Woman Folding a Kimono
1953
Woodblock print, ink on paper
Untitled (hodo-nishimura)
Woodblock print
Robyn Buntin of Honolulu
Woodblock print
Untitled (hodo-nishimura)
Woodblock print
Hair (Kami), Shôwa period, dated 1953
Woodblock print
Hanging Up the Mosquito Net
Woodblock print
Hara Shobō
Woodblock print
Maru-mage
Woodblock print
After Bath
1920 (posthumous edition)
Woodblock print
Woman Applying Makeup
1918 (Taishō 7)
Woodblock print; ink, color, gold, and mica on paper
Woman Applying Makeup- Kesho no Onna — 化粧の女
1918
Woodblock print
Woman Preparing to Bathe, Her Image Reflected in the Water, Taishô period, dated 1918 (8th month of Taishô 9)
Taishô period, 1912-1926
Woodblock print
A Nap (Utatane)
1930
Woodblock print
A Lady in Under Kimono
Woodblock print
Woman Dressing
1920
Woodblock print
After the Bath
湯上がり
1917
Color woodblock print
Woman Kneeling in the Bath and Combing Her Hair
1920
Woodblock print
Woman Powdering, Taishô period, dated 1918
Taishô period, 1912-1926
Woodblock print
Japanese Art Open Database
1930
Woodblock print
Kimono Underwear
July 1929
Woodblock print
Long Undergarments
July 1929
Woodblock print
Long Undergarment (light blue ground, pattern on kimono) (Nagajuban)
July 1929
Woodblock print
In Front of Mirror
鏡の前
1930
Color woodblock print
Rouge- lipstick — Beni
1932
Woodblock print
Sash(black kimino version)
November 1929
Woodblock print
Various
Not set
Woodblock print
Ashigara Yama
Not set
Woodblock print
Woman preparing to wash her face
1920
Woodblock print
Black Hair
黒髪
1930
Color woodblock print
Lip Rouge
January 1932
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper with mica
Morning Hair (Asanegami)
1930
Color woodblock print
Make-up (At the Mirror) — 化粧
1930
Woodblock print
Vapor
October 1929
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Out for a walk
Woodblock print
Serenade
1753–1806
color woodblock print
Woman Powdering Her Neck
1918 (Taishō 7)
Woodblock print; ink, color, and mica on paper
Woman Seated on a Pillow Before a Low Dressing Table, Taishô period, dated 1918 (7th month of Taishô 9)
Taishô period, 1912-1926
Woodblock print
Combing
October 1929
Woodblock print
Kimono Pattern
着物の柄
1930
Color woodblock print
Morning Hair - Asa Negami — 朝寝髪
1931
Woodblock print
Makeup
化粧
1929
Color woodblock print
Sash
November 1929
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper with mica
Hair, LE
Woodblock print
Tipsy — ほろ酔
1932
Woodblock print
Vapour- Yuge — ゆげ
1929
Woodblock print
#16 Sekiya
Woodblock print
Nap 52/100
1930
Woodblock print
Seated Woman
1936
Woodblock print
Rouge- lipstick — くち紅
1932
Woodblock print
Steam (Yuge)
1929
Color woodblock print
No Title
1753–1806
color woodblock print
Hair Ornament
髪飾り
1929
Color woodblock print
Vapor (Yuge)
1929
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.
Hashiguchi Goyo, Torii Kotondo, and Takehisa Yumeji 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 1084 prints tagged with bijin-ga, spanning ukiyo-e, shin-hanga, and sōsaku-hanga traditions where applicable.