Women's Bathhouse and Laundry
Mid-18th to early 19th century
Medium
Ink and colors on paper
Dimensions
104.6 × 188.7 cm (41 3/16 × 74 5/16 in.)
Classification
painting
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
36550
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
In Japan during the Edo period (1615–1868), bathing was considered a communal activity, and bathhouses were popular places to socialize. The women in this painting—most likely courtesans—are performing a variety of tasks in addition to bathing, such as doing laundry and combing one another’s hair. Two women near the back of the scene are reading a book; one of them holds her hand to her face as if to express her shock at the content, or perhaps to whisper in the other’s ear.
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...