吉原時計 夜の七つ|The Seventh Hour of the Night
ca. 1800
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H. 9 1/4 in. (23.5 cm); W. 6 3/4 in. (17.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Estate of Samuel Isham, 1914
Accession Number
JP989
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868), Kitagawa Utam's woodblock print *The Seventh Hour of the* (ca. 1800) captures a fleeting moment in Yoshiwara, Tokyo's famed pleasure district. Part of the "Yoshiwara Clock" series, depicts the lively atmosphere at 10 p.m., with elegantly dressed courtesans, male patrons, and hints of food and drink amid intimate revelry. These small-scale prints (just 9¼ × 6¾ inches) were designed for personal enjoyment, reflecting the ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world") tradition that celebrated ephemeral pleasures like beauty, nightlife, and urban ...
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...