The Courtesan Hanaōgi of the Ōgiya Brothel in Yoshiwara (Ōgiya uchi Hanaōgi, Yoshino, Tatsuta)
Original title: The Courtesan Hanaōgi of the Ōgiya Brothel in Yoshiwara (Ōgiya uchi Hanaōgi, Yoshino, Tatsuta)
kurzbeschreibung
Kitagawa Utamaro made this colour woodblock print around 1793–94. It shows the celebrated courtesan Hanaōgi of the Yoshiwara pleasure quarter in an elaborate kimono. As an ōkubi-e, a 'large-head picture', the print puts her face and bearing at the heart of the image.
Description
She wears a kimono with a delicate pattern; her hair is piled high and finished with a black hat and yellow ribbons. A patterned fan rests in her hand. Her face is painted white, as was customary for courtesans of the Edo period. Blocks of Japanese and Chinese characters fill the space behind her. Earth tones dominate, with accents of red and gold.
Context
The sheet belongs to a series of portraits of famous Yoshiwara courtesans that Utamaro produced in the 1790s. Hanaōgi was counted among the noted beauties of the Ōgiya house, and her likeness answered the ideal of bijin-ga, pictures of beautiful women. The series sold well and confirmed Utamaro's reputation as the leading artist in this genre.
Impact
The close view of her face draws the viewer near, while the grave, almost unapproachable expression keeps its distance, so the image feels at once intimate and reserved. Slender lines and muted colour give the print an elegant, quiet presence.
Technique
Printed as a nishiki-e woodblock with ink and colour on paper, the work has sharply cut contours and colour areas that register precisely with one another. Details such as the kimono patterns and the characters came about through fine lines.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)