Evening Glow in the Mansion, from the series Eight Views of Customs of the Floating World

Utamaro’s print of two elegant women uses mitate—a technique that cleverly merges classical and contemporary elements. The print references Fishing Village in Evening Glow from the Eight Views of Xiāoxiāng, creating an interplay between high and low culture. While the original view symbolized simplicity, tranquility, and impermanence through a fishing village at sunset, Utamaro reinterprets these themes through two beautiful women in an evening scene. By substituting the sunset’s glow with the “evening glow” of the women, he preserves the original’s essence of fleeting beauty while adding playful contemporary relevance for Edo audiences.