Beauties and Actors

Torii Kiyonaga

A Boating Party under Azuma Bridge

c. 1785

Triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper, each sheet 38.7 × 26 cm. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Pleasure boats tie up in the cool beneath a Sumida River bridge on a summer day.

• On the far shore at left, look for a shrine gate's crossbars above the river steps.
• He trained under Kiyomitsu and designed actor prints too.
• Recognizable landmarks set the beauties in places buyers knew.

Image: The Met Open Access · Public domain (Met Open Access)