桜下美人図

The young woman looks down upon the fallen cherry blossoms at her feet. Written in the artist’s expert hand, a poem by Akazome Emon (active 976–1041) in the upper right reads: “Sad though it may be, there is no way to continue on without trampling them, the wild cherry blossoms that fill my heart.”

The poem joins the imagery of youthful beauty and cherry blossoms to love; through her calligraphy, the artist herself is also added to the picture. Ryūjo was an accomplished artist by age 15. Her works were popularly referred to as “oryū-e” (paintings by Miss Ryū).