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Courtesan Seated on a Bench Enjoying the Evening Cool in Summer

Kamigaki Hōryū

1742

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Baroque Ukiyo-e 18th Century Portrait

Dominant colour

Courtesan Seated on a Bench Enjoying the Evening Cool in Summer is a 1742 unspecified by Kamigaki Hōryū, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Kamigaki Hōryū
When & what style?: 1742 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

A courtesan sits on a wooden bench, resting her chin in her hand. She's dressed in a robe with a grape pattern, suggesting a warm evening. Her fan has a plum blossom design, and the bench has a chrysanthemum pattern. These patterns hint at the seasons. The robe says late summer, the fan says spring, and the bench says autumn. This mix of seasons is interesting. To learn more about this style, check out the museum: The Cleveland Museum of Art.

The story of this work

Overview

In a pensive pose with her chin resting in her hand, a courtesan is seated on a wooden bench that extends diagonally across the lower half of the scroll. Her open robe suggests that it is a warm evening-perhaps late summer or early fall, as indicated by the grapevine pattern on her kimono. The floral patterns in the composition hint at the seasons: the plum blossom on the fan for spring; grape pattern on the robe for late summer; and chrysanthemum design on the bench indicating autumn. Note also how the grapevine pattern in the painting's mounting mimics the design of her kimono. The overall…

Read the full account in the museum source.