“This lithograph by Winifred Nicholson captures the renowned Japanese actress Sada Yacco with striking simplicity, using bold lines and a limited palette to create a powerful and elegant portrait.”
A striking portrait of Japanese actress Sada Yacco emerges from this lithograph, her profile rendered with a bold, almost graphic simplicity. Her dark hair is pulled back, revealing a delicate ear and a strong jawline, while her gaze, directed subtly downward, suggests a moment of introspection or perhaps a pose held for the artist. The limited color palette, primarily black, white, and a warm tan, emphasizes the contours of her face and the intricate patterns of her kimono, allowing the viewer to appreciate the elegance of the lines. This work, created in 1901 by Winifred Nicholson, captures the theatrical presence of a celebrated figure, transforming her into an iconic image through the medium of printmaking. The stark contrast and simplified forms lend the portrait a timeless quality, inviting a closer look at the details within its understated design.
- Artist
- Winifred Nicholson
- Date
- 1901
- Medium
- Color lithograph on tan wove paper
- Location
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Dimensions
- Image: 25 × 23.5 cm (9 7/8 × 9 5/16 in.); Sheet: 27 × 26.1 cm (10 11/16 × 10 5/16 in.)
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The intricate floral pattern on Sada Yacco's kimono.
The delicate shading on her cheek and neck.
The subtle curve of her lips.
The way her hair is styled, revealing her ear.
1 more detail is waiting.
See all 5 in Art Whisper →Winifred Nicholson
1893–1981 · United KingdomWinifred Nicholson, a British painter, captured the vibrant essence of still lifes and landscapes, often exploring the interplay of light and color.
Further Works by Nicholson
More works to explore
Beyond Nicholson: works from the same years.
Same era · 1880s–1910s
A Woman Walking in a Garden
Vincent van Gogh · 1887 · Frans Buffa & sons
Same era · 1880s–1910s
Still Life with Crayfish
Mikhail Larionov · 1900 · Museum Ludwig
Same era · 1880s–1910s
Frauenkopf vor Sonnenblumen
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner · 1906 · Museum Frieder Burda
Same era · 1880s–1910s
Charing Cross Bridge, London
Claude Monet · 1901 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1880s–1910s
Et l'or de leur corps
Paul Gauguin · 1901 · Musée d'Orsay
Same era · 1880s–1910s
Carmelina
Henri Matisse · 1903 · Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Same era · 1880s–1910s
Haystacks, Morning, Eragny
Camille Pissarro · 1899 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1880s–1910s
Jean Renoir Sewing
Pierre-Auguste Renoir · 1899 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1880s–1910s
Mademoiselle Nys
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec · 1899 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1880s–1910s
The Old Guitarist
Pablo Picasso · 1903 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1880s–1910s
Mont Sainte-Victoire
Paul Cézanne · 1904 · Detroit Institute of Arts
Same era · 1880s–1910s
The Kiss
Edvard Munch · 1897 · Munch Museum




