Dutchman and Maruyama Courtesan
18th century
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Image: 9 7/8 x 14 3/4 in. (25.1 x 37.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of William S. Lieberman, 2005
Accession Number
2007.49.266
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868), Chōkyōsai Eiri's *Dutchman and Maruyama Couran* (18th century) captures a tantalizing encounter between worlds. This woodblock print, rendered in vivid ink and color on paper, depicts a European Dutchman—likely a trader from Dejima, the sole Western outpost during Japan's isolationist *sakoku* policy—alongside a glamorous courtesan from Kyoto's prestigious Maruyama pleasure district. Eiri, a master of *ukiyo-e* ("pictures of the floating world"), specialized in elegant *bijin-ga* (images of beautiful women), blending sensuality with exquisi...
About the Artist
Chōkyōsai Eiri (Japanese) · 1789 –1801
Japanese, active ca. 1789–1801