A Courtesan with Her Client, the first sheet of an untitled erotic picture album
c. 1673/81
Medium
Woodblock print; sumizuri-e, oban yoko-e
Dimensions
27.2 × 38.3 cm (10 3/4 × 15 1/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
130221
Art Historical Context
Hishikawa Moronobuc. 1618–1694), a pioneering figure in ukiyo-e—the "pictures of the floating world" that celebrated Japan's vibrant urban life during the Edo period—created *A Courtesan with Client*, the first sheet of an untitled erotic picture around 1673–81. This woodblock print an intimate encounter in the Yoshiwara pleasure district, Tokyo's famed red-light area, where courtesans embodied beauty, wit, and transience. Moronobu's work captures the allure of these "floating world" pleasures, blending sensuality with everyday elegance. Printed as a *sumizuri-e* (monochrome ink on paper) in ...
About the Artist
Hishikawa Moronobu
Hishikawa Moronobu (1618–1694) holds an unassailable position in Japanese art history as the founder of ukiyo-e, the 'pictures of the floating world' that would become Japan's most internationally recognized art form. Born in the provincial town of Yasuda during the early Edo period, Moronobu transformed woodblock printing from a purely utilitarian craft into an independent artistic medium, establ...