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Bijin-ga (美人画, "beautiful person picture") is a generic term for pictures of beautiful women (bijin) inJapanese art, especially inwoodblock printing of theukiyo-e genre.
Kōjien definesbijin-ga as a picture that simply "emphasizes the beauty of women",[1] and theShincho Encyclopedia of World Art defines it as depiction of "the beauty of a woman's appearance".[2] On the other hand,Gendai Nihon Bijin-ga Zenshū Meisaku-sen I definesbijin-ga as pictures that explore "the inner beauty of women".[3] For this reason, the essence ofbijin-ga cannot always be expressed only through the depiction of abijin, a woman aligning with the beauty image. In fact, in ukiyo-ebijin-ga, it was not considered important that the picture resemble the facial features of the model, and the depiction of women in ukiyo-ebijin-ga is stylized rather than an attempt to create a realistic image;[4] For example, throughout theEdo period (1603–1867), married women had a custom of shaving their eyebrows (hikimayu), but inbijin-ga, there was a rule to draw the eyebrows for married women.
Ukiyo-e itself is a genre of woodblock prints and paintings that was produced in Japan from the 17th century to the 19th century. The prints were very popular amongst the Japanesemerchants and themiddle class of the time.
From the Edo period to theMeiji period (1868–1912), the technical evolution of ukiyo-e processes increased, with the accuracy of carving and printing and the vividness of colors used developing through the introduction of new printing processes andsynthetic dyes. This technical development can also be seen in ukiyo-ebijin-ga, and many painters ofbijin-ga contributed to the evolution of ukiyo-e techniques and styles, with the aim of maximizing the realistic expression of a real beauty living in the artists' time period.[5]
Nearly all ukiyo-e artists producedbijin-ga, as it was one of the central themes of the genre. However, a few, includingUtamaro,Suzuki Harunobu,Itō Shinsui,Toyohara Chikanobu, andTorii Kiyonaga, have been described as the greatest innovators and masters of the form.[citation needed]
The termbijin-ga is also used for paintings that depict beautiful women with a brush, and thenihonga painterUemura Shōen was awarded theOrder of Culture for breaking new ground inbijin-ga by depicting a different type of beauty than what had been painted before.[6]
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