In the Yoshiwara District

late 18th century

Not on view

The figures in this print are separated by a difference in scale as well as by physical barriers. The large figure in the foreground is a courtesan passing through the curtained door of a public bathhouse. Our attention, however, is drawn to the smaller-scale woman in the background who is framed within a latticed window. She is in a state of undress, but she is so eager to see who is in the entrance corridor that she has only half-covered herself with a cloth. She steadies herself with a hand on the window as she peers out. Traditionally, a bathing woman is an object of voyeurism. Koryūsai adds a twist to the theme by turning her into an observer as well.

Artwork Details

Title: In the Yoshiwara District
Artist: Isoda Koryūsai (Japanese, 1735–ca. 1790)
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: late 18th century
Culture: Japan
Medium: Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions: H. 27 3/16 in. (69.1 cm); W. 5 in. (12.7 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
Object Number: JP1704
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

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Returning Boats at Komagata, Isoda Koryūsai Japanese, Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Japan — Returning Boats at Komagata
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A Woman Carrying a Child on Her Back near the Entrance to a Temple, Isoda Koryūsai Japanese, Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Japan — A Woman Carrying a Child on Her Back near the Entrance to a Temple
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Young Woman Poling Herself in a Boat among Pond Lilies, Isoda Koryūsai Japanese, Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Japan — Young Woman Poling Herself in a Boat among Pond Lilies
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Sotoba; One of Seven Komachi, Isoda Koryūsai Japanese, Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Japan — Sotoba; One of Seven Komachi
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Bush Clover in Province of Omi, Isoda Koryūsai Japanese, Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Japan — Bush Clover in Province of Omi
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