Untitled

Torii Kiyonaga

late 18th century · Woodblock print; ink and color on paper · Asian Art

The principal figure in this composition is a courtesan who has paused in front of a folding screen. With her head inclined and her hand resting on the edge of the screen, she stands in an attitude of watching. The cropping necessitated by the narrow format adds mystery to this scene because the object of the courtesan's gaze is beyond the border of the print. In the background another courtesan tenderly observes her sleeping lover. One can surmise that the woman in the foreground also watches a sleeping man, especially since the edge of a bed is just visible at the lower right.

Artist

Torii Kiyonaga

Date

late 18th century

Medium

Woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929