Untitled

Shikitei Sanba|Utagawa Toyokuni I

ca. 1795 · Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk · Asian Art

Toyokuni was one of the most prolific artists of the late Edo period. During his early career, he portrayed women with particularly graceful necks, as exemplified by this image of a courtesan on her way to see her first customer of the evening by the light of a lantern held by an attendant. She is neatly dressed, with every hair in place. Red color applied here and there reveals her youth and vibrancy. On the upper section of the scroll, a poem by Shikiteri Sanba (1776–1822), a noted author of popular literature, is inscribed: Chosen for the first time, Before becoming accustomed, It is difficult to make footsteps in the snow.

Artist

Shikitei Sanba|Utagawa Toyokuni I

Date

ca. 1795

Medium

Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

The Howard Mansfield Collection, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1936