KITAGAWA UTAMARO (1754-1806)

A young woman looks down, presumably at a letter or other love token, distractedly fingering a hair pin. Strands of hair are suggestively curled at the nape and another two stick out. Her robe, tie-dyed with starfish, falls open over one breast. The image is one of five half-length portraits of women with hand or hands showing that comprise the set Anthology of Poems: The Love Section published in 1793–94. The title alludes to classical collections of poetry that are divided by theme and season into sections. Utamaro arranges them by subtitle: Reflective Love, Deeply Hidden Love, Love That Meets Each Night, Obvious Love and Love That Rarely Meets. The light cotton robe and round fan suggest summer