Innovative compositions, an interest in psychological states, anda fascinating interplay of social commentary, satire, and caricature are characteristic features of these images, evident in the large number of prints produced in the "big head picture" or okubi-e format during this period. Concentrating on the faces and upper bodies of their subjects, "big head" prints present well-known actors and courtesans (as well as anonymous subjects) in an arresting and intimate fashion. A series of prints designed by Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806) in the early 1790s, entitled Ten Studies in Female Physiognomy (Fujin sogaku juttai), exemplifies Utamaro's interest in probing beneath the surface of a subject and his use of subtle clues to create a personality for an imaginary woman who embodies a "type." For example, in this print from the series, entitled A Flirt, the alert, somewhat searching expression on the young woman's face and her apparent disregard for the state of her clothing help to define her as a fickle woman, one who is easily dissatisfied and constantly looking for new men in her life. The use of mica in the background further focuses attention on her personality and appearance.

The small seal on this print reads kiwame, "inspection concluded." It was the first censor's seal to be used on Japanese woodblock prints. The imposition of official censorship and the insistence that the design of every print be government-approved was one of the many ways in which the Tokugawa regime sought to control the life styles and the increasing economic and political clout of the urban class.

Utamaro is one of the most renowned Japanese print artists, and he is particularly revered for his skillful and probing depictions of women. He was born in Musashi and studied painting in a Kano-school atelier. He also studied with the artist Toriyama Sekien (1714-1788), who was noted for his illustrated books of humorous verse. Much of Utamaro's early work features the Kabuki theater. Around 1779, he began to illustrate various types of popular literature and in 1788 began to concentrate on beautiful women, at which time he also first used the signature Utamaro.