Courtesan with a Kitten
early 18th century
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk
Dimensions
Image: 13 1/8 × 20 3/4 in. (33.4 × 52.8 cm) Overall with mounting: 52 1/4 × 26 3/8 in. (132.7 × 67 cm) Overall with knobs: 52 1/4 × 28 1/2 in. (132.7 × 72.4 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868), probably Kyōhō era (1716–36)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Sue Cassidy Clark, in honor of Barbara Brennan Ford, 2020
Accession Number
2020.75.2
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Nishikawa Sukenobu’s “Courtesan with a Kitten,” created in the early eighteenth century during Japan’s Edo period, captures the refined elegance of Kyoto’s pleasure quarters. Sukenobu, a leading Kyoto-based artist, specialized in bijin-ga, or images of beautiful women blending the graceful traditions of court painting with the emerging ukiyo-e aesthetic that celebrated urban life and entertainment districts. The work likely dates to the Kyōhō era, a time when merchant-class culture flourished and courtesans were celebrated figures of fashion and sophistication. Painted on silk as a hanging scroll using delicate ink, vibrant colors, and touches of gold, the medium itself underscores the luxurious nature of the subject. The intimate scene of a courtesan playfully interacting with a kitten highlights Sukenobu’s skill in rendering soft textures and gentle expressions, inviting viewers to appreciate both the figure’s poise and the quiet charm of everyday moments within the “floating world.” Today in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, this scroll offers a window into Edo-period ideals of beauty and leisure, reflecting the period’s cultural shift toward celebrating refined yet accessible pleasures.
About the Artist
Nishikawa Sukenobu 西川祐信 (Japanese) · 1671 –1750
Japanese, 1671–1750