# Courtesan Reading a Letter

**Ishikawa Toyonobu** (Japanese, 1711–1785)  
c. 1745  
Hand-colored woodblock print; toku-oban, urushi-e  
50.6 × 23 cm (19 3/4 × 9 in.)

Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago, 1931.244. [The museum's record](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/8191).

## About this work

Ishikawa Toyonobu designed this in about 1745, aged about 29. It is now at the Art Institute of Chicago.

### What you’re looking at

A work made of hand-colored woodblock print; toku-oban, urushi-e.

_Description from the Art Institute of Chicago._

### How it was made

- **Colour woodblock print.** In Japan these were a team effort. The artist drew the design, a carver cut it into cherry-wood blocks, one block for each colour, and a printer brushed on the pigment and rubbed each sheet by hand. Full-colour prints of this kind were called nishiki-e, “brocade pictures”, from the 1760s on.
- **Hand-coloured.** Printed in black, then coloured by hand in watercolour, one sheet at a time.

### [Ishikawa Toyonobu](https://www.ochreeditions.com/artists/ishikawa-toyonobu)

Japanese, 1711–1785

## Facts

- Type: Print
- Culture: Japan
- The artist was about 29
- Real size: about 20 × 9 in (50 × 23 cm). The 16 × 20 in print is close to life size.
- Century: 18th century
- Movement: [Ukiyo-e](https://www.ochreeditions.com/movements/ukiyo-e)
- Subjects: Japanese (culture or style)
- Colour: brown
- Rights: public domain (CC0 1.0); free to use for any purpose.

## Get it

- Free download, full resolution: https://img.ochreeditions.com/m/14.jpg?dl=1
- Image: https://img.ochreeditions.com/a/14/1920.jpg
- Giclée reproduction on Hahnemühle Photo Rag: 8 × 10 in $28; 11 × 14 in $38; 12 × 16 in $42; 16 × 20 in $56; 18 × 24 in $68
- Framed reproduction: 8 × 10 in $78; 11 × 14 in $98; 12 × 16 in $108; 16 × 20 in $138; 18 × 24 in $164
- Canvas reproduction: 8 × 10 in $58; 11 × 14 in $72; 12 × 16 in $79; 16 × 20 in $98; 18 × 24 in $118
- Print-ready file: 8 × 10 in $2; 11 × 14 in $2; 12 × 16 in $3; 16 × 20 in $3; 18 × 24 in $3

Sizes stop where the museum's file would print below 150 pixels per inch. Everything sold is a reproduction, made to order. [Order a print](https://www.ochreeditions.com/art/courtesan-reading-a-letter-aic-8191).