Courtesans of the Takeya, from the book "Mirror of Beautiful Women of the Pleasure Quarters (Seiro bijin awase sugata kagami)," vol. 1
Medium
Color woodblock print; double-page illustration cut from a book
Dimensions
22.6 × 30.2 cm (8 7/8 × 11 7/8 in.)
Classification
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
32161
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 18th-century Edo Japan with *Courtesans of the Tak*, a captivating double-page color woodblock print by Katsukawa Shunsho from 1776. Featured in volume 1 of the illustrated book *Mirror of Beautiful of the Pleasure QuartersSeiro bijin aw sugata kagami)*, this artwork celebrates the elegant courtesans of the Takeya house in Yoshiwara, Tokyo's famed licensed pleasure district. Shunsho a leading figure in the ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world") movement, masterfully captured the fleeting beauty and allure of urban life, blending portraiture with scenes of ent...