Courtesans Parodying Kanzan and Jittoku

Kinpūsha Toyomaro Japanese

Not on view

At first glance, the scene appears to simply show two gorgeously garbed and coiffed courtesans in natural poses, one with a brush and paper and one holding a broom as she toys with a hairpin. But things are not always as they seem in such paintings of the pleasure quarters. The juxtaposition of two figures, one with a broom and the other with a handscroll, immediately calls to mind the Zen-painting theme of the madcap monks Kanzan and Jittoku (Chinese: Hanshan and Shide) who lived in Tang China. They had a reputation for rebelling against the conformity of social norms, and Kanzan was famous for his “Cold Mountain” poems.

Kinpūsha Toyomaro was a pupil of Kitagawa Utamaro (1753?–1806), who created paintings of female beauties and drew illustrations for popular novels.

Courtesans Parodying Kanzan and Jittoku, Kinpūsha Toyomaro (Japanese, active early 19th century), Hanging scroll; ink, color and gold on paper, Japan

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Courtesans Parodying Kanzan and Jittoku, Kinpūsha Toyomaro (Japanese, active early 19th century), Hanging scroll; ink, color and gold on paper, Japan
Courtesans Parodying Kanzan and Jittoku, Kinpūsha Toyomaro (Japanese, active early 19th century), Hanging scroll; ink, color and gold on paper, Japan
Courtesans Parodying Kanzan and Jittoku, Kinpūsha Toyomaro (Japanese, active early 19th century), Hanging scroll; ink, color and gold on paper, Japan

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