Lives of Courtesans at Itako (Itako zekku 潮来絶句)
Itako zekku is a Japanese illustrated poetry book by Katsushika Hokusai, published in 1802 and set in the pleasure quarter of Itako, with each double-page spread pairing a woodblock print with a column of verse. The four pictures show courtesans and attendants at quiet domestic moments, rendered in soft colour, flat planes and fine calligraphic line, which a designer might take as a model for layering text and image on a page.
