서 있는 기생
18th century
Kaigetsudō Ando was the undisputed king of depicting Edo-period courtesans, and this towering beauty is a perfect example of his signature style. Notice how she doesn't just stand there; she commands the space with a voluminous kimono patterned with bold bamboo stalks, looking back over her shoulder with an air of cool detachment. Ando ran a whole school of artists who copied this exact look—tall, statuesque women with elaborate robes—making them the ultimate fashion plates of 18th-century Japan. In fact, his style was so popular that he was eventually exiled from Edo due to a scandal involving the shogunate's strict moral codes!