1799
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Tsukasa and Other Courtesans of the Ogiya Watching the Autumn Moon Rise Over Rice Fields from a Balcony in the Yoshiwara is a 1799 by Katsushika Hokusai, a Romanticism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
The painting shows women on a balcony watching the moon rise over rice fields. They are courtesans from the Ogiya teahouse in the Yoshiwara district of Edo. The women's robes and the serene evening create a poetic atmosphere. The scene is special because it's a private print, made just for a few people. It's a surimono, a type of print that was often given as a gift. You can learn more about this style by looking at the work of artist: Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, 1760–1849)
Gomeirō is another name for the fashionable teahouse Ōgi-ya (House of Fans) in the Yoshiwara district of Edo (present-day Tokyo). Two courtesans, each attended by a geisha and a shinzō (apprentice to a courtesan) view a full autumn moon as it rises over the surrounding paddy fields. The elegance of the women's flowing robes and the serenity of the evening with a full silver moon contribute to the poetic atmosphere of this surimono , a privately commissioned print usually accompanied by text—here, a poem, which reads: What liveliness! Geisha, shinzō, and jesters fill the room, all guests of…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Katsushika Hokusai spent his life in Edo, now Tokyo, where he drew and carved prints for a living.
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