青楼美人 六花撰 岡本屋内 重岡|A Courtesan with Morning-glories on the Background
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H. 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm); W. 9 3/8 in. (23.8)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Museum Accession
Accession Number
JP1089
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868), this woodblock print by Utamaro II captures the allure of a courtesan amid blooming morning glories. Titled *A Courtes with Morning-glories on Background* (from the *Rokka-sen: Okamoto-ya no Shigeoka*), the image exemplifies *bijin-ga*, or "pictures of beautiful women," a popular genre in ukiyo art that celebrated the fleeting pleasures of the "floating world" – urban entertainment districts like Yoshiwara in Edo (modern Tokyo). Utamaro II, a gifted pupil of the master Kitagawa Utamaro, skillfully employs the woodblock technique, layering ...