Nakasu, from the series "Ten Scenes of Enjoying the Cool in the Three Cities (Sangatsu ryo jikkei)"
c. 1785/86
Medium
Color woodblock print; koban
Dimensions
21.9 × 16 cm (8 5/8 × 6 5/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
21267
Art Historical Context
Torii Kiyonaga (1752–1815), a leading figure in the uyo-e tradition of Japan's Edo period, the fleeting pleasures of urban life in *Nakasu*, from his *Ten Scenes of Enjoying the Cool the Three Cities (Sangatsu r jikkei)*, c. 1785/86. This intimate color woodblock print depicts revelers on a riverside sandbar—likely in one of the bustling metropolises of Edo (), Kyoto, or Osaka—seeking respite from the heat lantern-lit gatherings and flowing waterways. Kiyonaga's mastery shines in his elegant portrayals of courtesans and townsfolk, with graceful poise and innovative perspective that draws viewe...
About the Artist
Torii Kiyonaga · 1752–1815
Torii Kiyonaga, born Sekiguchi Shinsuke in 1752 in Uraga, Sagami Province, was the son of an Edo bookseller who owned tenements near a bustling fish market. At age 14 in 1765, he began his apprenticeship under Torii Kiyomitsu, the third-generation head of the prestigious Torii school of ukiyo-e, renowned for kabuki theater illustrations and signage. Adopted into the Torii family, Kiyonaga succeede...