Courtesans in an Iris Garden
late 18th century
Medium
Triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Image (each): 15 × 10 in. (38.1 × 25.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Howard Mansfield Collection, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1936
Accession Number
JP2663
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan with *Courtesans in an Iris*, a captivating triptych woodblock by Katsukawa Shunch, created in the late 18th century. This work, composed of three panels each measuring 15 × 10 inches, uses ink and color on paper to depict elegant courtesans strolling through a lush iris garden. Shunchō, a prominent ukiyo-e artist the Katsukawa school, in bijin-ga—images of beautiful women—capturing the grace and allure of these figures from the pleasure districts. During Japan's Edo period (1615–1868), woodblock prints like this one brought the "floating world"...
About the Artist
Katsukawa Shunchō (Japanese) · 1775 –1795
Japanese, active ca. 1783–95