Courtesan in a robe decorated with calligraphy

Dressed in a kimono decorated with a calligraphy pattern, this voluptuous courtesan lifts the front of her robe and lightly touches her neck as she looks back over one shoulder. Her posture creates an S curve, which was considered feminine and is commonly seen in paintings of beautiful women. Loosely tied at the front, her light brown sash (obi) trails behind, suggesting the stately forward movement of a courtesan on parade.

The artist, Baiyuken Katsunobu, frequently used flowing Chinese characters to decorate the garments of his figures. Here they appear in white against a background of various shades of blue. Bold Chinese characters reading "love" and "listen" are superimposed over smaller Japanese characters. Like many courtesan paintings of the time, this one shows its subject against a blank background with no indication of place, occasion, or season.