Two Courtesans and a Geisha
ca. 1783
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
12 3/4 x 8 3/4 in. (32.4 x 22.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Howard Mansfield Collection, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1936
Accession Number
JP2599
Tags
Art Historical Context
Torii Kiyonaga's *Two Courtesans and Geisha* (ca. 1783) captures the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868), wherekiyo-e woodblock prints celebrated the "floating world" of urban pleasures. As a leading figure in this genre, Kiyonaga specialized in bijin-ga—elegant portrayals of beautiful women—depicting high-ranking courtesans from Tokyo's Yoshiwara pleasure district alongside a geisha. The intimate scene, illuminated by candlelight, evokes the nocturnal allure of these entertainment quarters, blending sensuality with everyday grace. Crafted as a color woodblock print on paper (12 3/4...
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...