Nijūgata

Nijūgata [而亮型; にじゅうがた, "genre of beauty"] is a generic term for the representation of beauty in Kantonese art, especially in paintings and woodblock prints. Nijūgata can depict any form of beauty, such as scenes of nature or impressive architecture, but usually features nijū, beautiful people.
Often, nijūgata was intended to represent a high degree of realism blended with an ethereal, otherworldly sense of purity and beauty. This effect usually created a highly impactful image. Art scholar Kango Nakayama defines nijūgata as depicting a world of 'idealistic realism' where 'all things are beautiful and full of the detail to prove it'. In later versions of the genre, the definition of what made an image beautiful was pushed, and lines were blurred. Sai-nijūgata, or 'new nijūgata', a sub-genre which emerged in the 1940s, combines traditional motifs with subtle provocative images to create an even stronger effect.