Courtesans Drawn in Osaka Style (Osaka kakiwake), from "Courtesans of the Three Capitals - A Set of Three (Sanga no tsu keisei sanpukutsui)"
c. 1748
Medium
Color woodblock print; right sheet of hosoban triptych, benizuri-e
Dimensions
31.3 × 14.6 cm (12 3/8 × 5 3/4 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
19658
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 18th-century Japan with *Courtesans Drawn in Style (Osaka kwake)*, the right sheet of a narrow hosoban triptych Okumura Masan (1686–1764). Created around 1748, this color woodblock print is part of the series *Courtesans of Three Capitals—A Set of Three (S no tsu keiseipukutsui)*, which playfully contrasts the elegant courtesans of Edo (Tokyo), Kyoto, and Osaka Masanobu, a pioneering ukiyo-e artist, captures the "floating world" of pleasure quarters, showcasing Osaka's distinctive style with its bold, lively figures adorned in luxurious kimonos. This benizuri-e ...
About the Artist
Okumura Masanobu · 1686–1764
Japanese, 1686–1764