orig. Kitagawa Nebsuyoshi
born 1753, Japan
died Oct. 31, 1806, Edo
Japanese printmaker and painter.
He moved from a provincial town to Edo (now Tokyo) in his youth; his early work included many illustrated books. One of the greatest ukiyo-e artists, he is known especially for his masterfully composed portraits of sensuous female beauties. Unlike other ukiyo-e artists, who favoured prints of women in groups, Utamaro concentrated on half-length single portraits.