Woman under a Willow Tree

18th century

Not on view

Lush and sensual, ukiyo-e paintings of the eighteenth century idealized beauty, placing courtesans and young women in indoor and outdoor seasonal settings. Shunshō—an Edo bon vivant, painter, and print designer-was renowned for his facility in depicting actors and beautiful women. This early summer picture depicts a young woman from a good family standing under a willow tree. The poem at the top, composed and inscribed by Fūdo, a kyoka (satirical poem) poet, reads:

The willows would leaf in profusion in
an answer to the water's invitation.

Artwork Details

Title: Woman under a Willow Tree
Artist: Katsukawa Shunshō　勝川春章 (Japanese, 1726–1792)
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: 18th century
Culture: Japan
Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
Dimensions: Image: 44 × 12 in. (111.8 × 30.5 cm)
Overall with mounting: 74 in. × 17 11/16 in. (188 × 44.9 cm)
Overall with knobs: 74 × 17 5/8 in. (188 × 44.8 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: The Howard Mansfield Collection, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1936
Object Number: 36.100.70
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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