A Parade of Courtesans
c. 1690
Medium
Woodblock print; sumizuri-e, kakemono yoko-e
Dimensions
31 × 68 cm (12 1/4 × 26 13/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
19061
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
A group of courtesans parade with servants carrying umbrellas. The print appears to depict a typical scene in the Yoshiwara pleasure quarters of Edo. However, a figure on the left is identified as one of the legendary Soga brothers, 12th-century heroes whose story of valor is retold in countless Kabuki plays. It is possible that this print may depict a scene from an unidentified Soga brothers drama.
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...