Parting of Lovers: Courtesan and Her Lover

ca. 1800

Not on view

Unlike Harunobu's romantic parting scenes, Utamaro's focuses on the sensuality and eroticism of the lovers more directly. Utamaro portrays the courtesan half undressed, with her breast and thigh exposed. Her dress is rumpled at the cross of her thighs, adding even more of a sensual air to the scene. The man's elongated face, the courtesan's unkempt hair, and their pale skin enhance the erotic mood. The couple's seemingly fixed poses, emphasized by the way they look at and touch each other, makes it appear as if they are acting out a scene in a play.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

References

Title: Parting of Lovers: Courtesan and Her Lover
Artist: Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, ca. 1754–1806)
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: ca. 1800
Culture: Japan
Medium: Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions: H. 14 3/4 in. (37.5 cm); W. 10 in. (25.4 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1919
Object Number: JP1111
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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“Preparing Food for the Warbler,” from the album Men’s Stamping Dance (Otoko dōka, uguisu no esa suri)

, Kitagawa Utamaro Japanese, Page from a woodblock printed book; ink and color on paper, Japan — “Preparing Food for the Warbler,” from the album Men’s Stamping Dance (Otoko dōka, uguisu no esa suri)
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