Preview
Buy Print
Send
Share
Download
Similars
X-Ray
DiaporamaFemale Entertainer with a Koto
utagawa toyoharu (1735 – 1814)
Utagawa Toyoharu (1735-1814): Founder of the Utagawa school & pioneer of ukiyo-e landscape art. Known for innovative perspective techniques blending Western styles with traditional Japanese themes. Explore his serene prints & paintings.
A high ranking courtesan in a striking black outer robe with a peacock motif over a multicolored undergarment stands before a koto (thirteen stringed zither). Her obi sash is tied in front of her robes rather than behind, the usual practice for courtesans.Utagawa Toyoharu, founder of the Utagawa school of Ukiyo e, produced both finely executed paintings—as seen here—and designs for prints. Shokusanjin, one of the foremost literary arbiters of his era, inscribed the poem to the left of the figure some years after the painting was made. The witty verse is full of clever wordplay and references to centuries old classical literature and the Shinto “patron deity” of the pleasure quarters.
About this artwork
- Title: Female Entertainer with a Koto
- Artist: utagawa toyoharu
- Year: 1785
- Original dimensions: 65.0 x 34.0 cm
- Format: Portrait
- Copyright status: Public domain
- Creative period: Mature Period
- Corpus context: shinto patronage" , classical literature references
- Keywords: black kimono art , japanese culture , 18th century art
- Color intensity: Balanced
QR Code
