In this essay I will compare and contrast ukiyo-e (woodblock print) depictions of classic Japanese beauties made in the 18th and 19th centuries with depictions of Beavis, a delinquent teenage cartoon character, rendered by epic artist Mike Judge. Both types of artwork express the zeitgeist of the era they were created.

The bijin-ga (literally, beautiful person pictures) prints were very popular among Japanese merchants and the middle class and were most likely used to masterbate to.