An Oiran Standing, a Pipe in Her right Hand, and Turning to Look Behind over Her Shoulder. Artist: Torii Kiyomasu I (Japanese, active 1696-1716). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 21 7/8 x 12 3/4 in. (55.6 x 32.4 cm). Date: ca. 1705.The first ukiyo-e prints were conceived as paraphrases of ink drawings. The woodblock cutter gave exaggerated attention to duplicating the irregularities of the brush stroke, for instance, the variations in thickness of the calligraphic curves and the feathery quality at the point where the brush left the paper. However, in this translation from painting to the simplicity of the woodblock print, the freely-drawn line of the brush artist became more precise and robust in the physical process of incising hard wood. Additionally, the contrast between the soft, white paper and the heavy black calligraphic lines, the bold graphic patterning, and greater attention to the surface all contributed to a new aesthetic.Kiyomasu represents the vigorous style of the Torii sc