Who created "Two Geishas and a Maid"?

Two Geishas and a Maid was created by Kitao Shigemasa in ca. 1790.

When was "Two Geishas and a Maid" created?

This artwork was created ca. 1790.

What medium is "Two Geishas and a Maid"?

Two Geishas and a Maid is Woodblock print; ink and color on paper.

Is "Two Geishas and a Maid" in the public domain?

Yes, Two Geishas and a Maid is in the public domain and available for free download under CC0 license.

Two Geishas and a Maid

Kitao Shigemasa

ca. 1790

Medium

Woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Dimensions

15 x 10 1/8 in. (38.1 x 25.7 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

JP2656

Tags

WomenServants

Art Historical Context

In the vibrant world of Edo Japan (1615–1868), Kitao Shigem's *Two Geishas and a Maid* (ca. 1790) captures the elegance of the "floating world" (ukiyo-e), a cultural sphere of entertainment districts like Yoshiwara in Edo (modern Tokyo). Shigemasa, a masterkiyo-e printmaker and illustrator trained under Suzuki Harunobu specialized in bijin-ga—depictions of beautiful women—blending delicate realism with stylized grace. This woodblock print, rendered in ink and vibrant colors on paper, exemplifies the medium's revolutionary role: affordable multiples made sophisticated art accessible beyond the ...

About the Artist

Kitao Shigemasa · 1739–1820

Kitao Shigemasa (1739–1820), born in the bustling Nihonbashi district of Edo (modern Tokyo), emerged as a pivotal figure in ukiyo-e woodblock printing during Japan's Edo period. The eldest son of the bookseller Suharaya Mohei—from a lineage of publishers—Shigemasa, originally named Kitabatake Tarōkichi, was immersed in the world of printing from youth. Largely self-taught, he later studied under t...

Two Geishas and a Maid

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