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

Object Information
  • 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

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