Japan: 'Full Moon at Takanawa'. A Bijin (beautiful woman) seated beside her palanquin at a tea house. Ichiyusai Hiroshige (1797-1858), c. 1850

Utagawa Hiroshige (歌川 広重, 1797 – October 12, 1858) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, and one of the last great artists in that tradition. He was also referred to as Andō Hiroshige (安藤 広重) (an irregular combination of family name and art name) and by the art name of Ichiyūsai Hiroshige (一幽斎廣重).

Bijinga (美人画 bijin-ga, lit. 'beautiful person picture') is a generic term for pictures of beautiful women in Japanese art, especially in woodblock printing of the ukiyo-e genre, which predate photography. The term can also be used for modern media, provided the image conforms to a somewhat classic representation of a woman, usually depicted wearing kimono.

Nearly all ukiyo-e artists produced bijin-ga, it being one of the central themes of the genre. However, a few, including Utamaro, Suzuki Harunobu, Itō Shinsui, Toyohara Chikanobu and Torii Kiyonaga, are widely regarded as the greatest innovators and masters of the form.

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THE WAY OF TEA