『大磯海水浴富士遠 景図』|Swimming at Ōiso, Distant View of Mount Fuji

Utagawa (Baidō) Kokunimasa

1893 · Triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper · Asian Art

This triptych depicts the first Japanese beach for sea bathing, which opened to the public at Ōiso in Kanagawa Prefecture in August 1885. Although initially undertaken for health reasons, swimming in the sea as a recreational activity increased in popularity during the Meiji period. While some men and women continued to swim au naturel, women generally wore knitted woolen bathing suits.

Artist

Utagawa (Baidō) Kokunimasa

Date

1893

Medium

Triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Lincoln Kirstein, 1960