Open full image Pin

『雛形若菜の初模様　扇屋内　七越』|The Courtesan Nanakoshi of the Ōgiya Brothel, from the series “A Pat-tern Book of the Year’s First Designs, Fresh as Spring Herbs” (“Hinagata wakana no hatsu moyō”)

Isoda Koryūsai

1778

ink

paper

From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art

Romanticism 18th Century

Dominant colour

『雛形若菜の初模様　扇屋内　七越』|The Courtesan Nanakoshi of the Ōgiya Brothel, from the series “A Pat-tern Book of the Year’s First Designs, Fresh as Spring Herbs” (“Hinagata wakana no hatsu moyō”) is a 1778 ink by Isoda Koryūsai, a Romanticism work, held at Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Isoda Koryūsai
When & what style?: 1778 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Metropolitan Museum of Art

About this work

This print shows three women in bright, patterned kimonos. The woman on the left holds a fan and a small wooden box, while the other two sit nearby, one with a scroll and the other resting her head on her hand. Behind them is a tall, narrow wooden stand with a round top. The colors are warm—reds, pinks, and earthy browns—with bold black outlines. The women look like courtesans, a type of entertainer in old Japan. Their clothes and the fan suggest a scene of leisure or storytelling. Look up cross-hatching next to see how artists create depth with lines.