Beauty under a Cherry Tree
Original Language Title鳥文斎栄之 桜花美人図
Artist
Chōbunsai Eishi
(Japanese, 1756 - 1829)
Dateca. 1806-1816
MediumHanging scroll; ink and colors on silk
DimensionsOverall: 33 5/8 × 12 1/2 inches (85.41 × 31.75 cm)
Credit LinePurchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust
Object number32-83/18
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionPainting of a courtesan in a red kimono under a flowering tree.Exhibition HistoryHokusai: Masterpieces from the Spencer Museum of Art, Richardson-North Collection, and The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, September 21, 2024–February 1, 2025.
One of the most popular and long-lasting
subject matters in ukiyo-e was images of women,
including high-ranking courtesans (women
trained to entertain male customers). Chōbunsai
Eishi portrayed this unnamed courtesan in his
signature style, highlighting her tall and slim
figure, narrow oval face, and pursed lips. Her
eyebrows softly curve, and her eyes are slender.
Her elaborate pointy hairdo, called yoko hyōgo,
and luxurious dress embody popular fashions of
the time. These physical characteristics, however,
are artificially constructed to reflect Japanese
beauty ideals of the early 1800s.
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