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Courtesan and Attendants

Engetsudō

1750

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Baroque Ukiyo-e 18th Century Genre Scene

Dominant colour

Courtesan and Attendants is a 1750 unspecified by Engetsudō, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Engetsudō
When & what style?: 1750 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a courtesan and her attendants in this painting. The courtesan wears fancy clothes and a big hair comb. She has a special crest on her robe that shows which brothel she works for. This crest is also on her attendants' robes, which tells us about their relationship. You can learn more about this type of scene by looking at the work of artist: Engetsudō (Japanese).

The story of this work

Overview

The courtesan wears a pair of tall, lacquered wooden clogs and heavy robes, indicating it is winter. The elaborate span of her tortoiseshell comb in her fashionable coiffure enhances her glamorous appearance. Her blue-and-white striped obi is tied in a loose bow in front, typical for her profession. The round, stylized cherry blossom crest of her "house" (brothel), partially visible on her shoulder just above the shawl, also appears on the robes of her two attendants ( kamuro ). The attendants hold shuttlecocks, used in a game associated with New Year celebrations. One girl stares out at the…

Read the full account in the museum source.