A Beauty Looking Down upon a Young Man Reading a Love Letter

Utagawa Toyoharu

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Toyoharu is known for incorporating Western perspective into his prints (uki-e), as may be observed here in the depiction of the sea in the distance. His graceful, willowy images of women remind us of the delicate beauties of Suzuki Harunobu (1725–1770). The halberd that the woman holds and the shape of the window behind the couple are Chinese and may suggest a parody (mitate) of a Chinese subject.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art