Description
Three courtesans occupy an interior in Kitagawa Utamaro’s print, one seated at the left and two standing tall at the right. Pale and pink layered robes bring varied patterns into the group. A window or shōji screen and round hanging forms give the company a setting, allowing individual figures and neighboring furnishings to share the image’s attention.
The Edo-period woodblock print uses ink and color on paper. Utamaro’s grouped subject allows attention to move between people rather than settle on a single formal portrait. The work’s interest lies in that relationship between common identity and individual appearance. Its appeal comes from the variety a trio can bring to an intimate image, where neighboring figures make comparison part of the encounter and shared presence gives the scene a particular social character.
Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Kitagawa Utamaro collection.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.