新吉原仮宅両国之図|Picture of the Temporary Lodgings of the New Yoshiwara Pleasure Quarter at Ryōgoku (Shin Yoshiwara Karitaku Ryogoku no zu)
1784
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
12 1/8 x 17 in. (30.8 x 43.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Francis Lathrop Collection, Purchase, Frederick C. Hewitt Fund, 1911
Accession Number
JP735
Tags
Art Historical Context
In 1784, master ukiyo-e artist Kit Utamaro captured a fleeting moment in Edo-period Japan with his woodblock print *Picture of the Temporary Lod of the New Yoshiwara Quarter at Ryōg*. This vibrant *nishiki-e* (brocade print), rendered in ink and color on paper, measures 12⅛ × 17 inches and showcases Utamaro's signature bijin-ga style—elegant portrayals of beautiful women amid everyday luxury. The Yoshiwara, Tokyo's famed licensed pleasure district, had relocated to its "new" site north of the city in 1659 after a devastating fire; this scene depicts its rare temporary housing at Ryōgoku, possi...
About the Artist
Kitagawa Utamaro · 1753–1806
Kitagawa Utamaro (c. 1753-1806) was one of the most celebrated masters of ukiyo-e woodblock printing, revolutionizing the art of bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women) during Japan's Edo period. Born Kitagawa Ichitaro, his early life remains shrouded in mystery, with conflicting accounts placing his birth in Kyoto, Osaka, Yoshiwara in Edo (modern Tokyo), or Kawagoe in Musashi Province. Under the t...