「文齊側五行火 花街細見合」|Courtesan by a Lantern, “Fire,” from the series Five Elements for the Bunsai Poetry Group, a Guide to the Yoshiwara Pleasure Quarters
ca. 1820
Medium
Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
7 7/8 x 7 3/16 in. (20 x 18.3 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, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
Accession Number
JP2046
Tags
Art Historical Context
This enchanting woodblock print, *Courtesan by a Lantern,Fire,”* from Totoya Hokkei’s series *Five Elements for the Bai Poetry Group, a to the Yoshiwara Pleasurearters* (ca. 1820), captures the allure of Edo-period Japan’s floating world. Created during the vibrant Edo period (1615–1868), it depicts a poised courtesan illuminated by a lantern in the Yoshiwara district—Tokyo’s famed licensed pleasure quarters. The series, tailored for the Bunsai Group, blends visual artistry with poetic themes, using the “Fire” element to evoke the warm flicker of lantern light amid nightlife revelry. As a *su...
About the Artist
Totoya Hokkei · 1780–1850
Totoya Hokkei (魚屋 北渓, 1780–1850), born Iwakubo Tatsuyuki in Edo (modern Tokyo), began his life as a humble fishmonger in the Yotsuya Samegahashi district, a trade reflected in his art name "Totoya," meaning fish shop. He transitioned to art through rigorous training, first studying under Kanō Yōsen'in Korenobu, head of the Kobikichō branch of the prestigious Kanō school, where he honed landscape p...