Beauty of the Kanbun Era
Kanbun bijin (Beauties of the Kanbun Era) is a genre of painting of the late seventeenth century in which a gorgeously garbed figure is elegantly posed against a blank background. The Kanbun era officially lasted about a decade, from 1661 to 1672, but the historical designation is used more expansively to refer to the 1660s through 1680s. The origins of Kanbun bijin can be traced to early seventeenth-century paintings of everyday life, often populated by large numbers of people enjoying leisurely outdoor pursuits, such as picnicking, or indulging in indoor amusements like playing games, dancing, or attending plays. Kanbun bijin paintings, like their precedents, were generally created by little-known artists, no doubt in a studio environment.
Artwork Details
- 寛文美人図
- Title: Beauty of the Kanbun Era
- Artist: Unidentified artist
- Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
- Date: late 17th century
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 33 1/16 × 9 9/16 in. (84 × 24.3 cm)
Overall with mounting: 67 5/8 × 16 9/16 in. (171.7 × 42 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2024
- Object Number: 2024.412.7
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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Unidentified artist
Unidentified artist
Unidentified artist
Unidentified artist
Unidentified artist
18th–19th century
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