The theme of the courtesan out strolling with her retinue of parasol bearer, attendants, and maidservants was very popular in ukiyo-e (“pictures of the floating world”), representing one of the great public sights of the urban pleasure quarters. Pictures of famous courtesans were enjoyed for the glimpse they provided of these symbols of ideal feminine beauty and contemporary fashion. Here a man-servant shields the courtesan with a parasol that bears the design of the wish-granting mallet of Daikoku, god of good fortune. The design might be the mark of the brothel from which the courtesan comes. With her are two attendants and an older maidservant, who is identified by the apron that she wears over her kimono.

The artist Sukenobu lived in Kyoto and trained initially under traditional Kano and Tosa school painters. Considered the forerunner of the great ukiyo-e master Harunobu, Sukenobu turned to popular art in his twenties, became enormously successful, and enjoyed a great reputation in his own lifetime. He was also a prolific book illustrator.