名取酒六家選 大もんぢや内浅じふ 木綿屋七ッ梅|A Courtesan
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
14 3/8 x 9 11/16 in. (36.5 x 24.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Gift of Mrs. J. Watson Webb, 1930
Accession Number
JP2394
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro titled *A Courtesan* (from the series *Natori Sake Rokke*, featuring figures like Daimonjiya's Asajifu and Momenya Nanatsume), captures allure of Edo-period pleasure quarters. Created during Japan's vibrant Edo period (1615–8), it showcases a high-ranking courtesan, or *oiran*, adorned in elaborate kimono and poised with graceful elegance. Utamaro a master of *ukiyo-e* ("pictures of the floating world"), specialized in *bijin-ga*—portraits of beautiful women—elevating everyday scenes of urban life into poetic celebrations of femininity and tra...
About the Artist
Kitagawa Utamaro · 1753–1806
Kitagawa Utamaro (c. 1753-1806) was one of the most celebrated masters of ukiyo-e woodblock printing, revolutionizing the art of bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women) during Japan's Edo period. Born Kitagawa Ichitaro, his early life remains shrouded in mystery, with conflicting accounts placing his birth in Kyoto, Osaka, Yoshiwara in Edo (modern Tokyo), or Kawagoe in Musashi Province. Under the t...