Artwork
Courtesan and Attendant Playing with a Dog

Courtesan and Attendant Playing with a Dog is an unspecified painting by the Rococo painting artist Nishikawa Sukenobu. It dates from 1726 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting thus presents an intimate, domestic genre image rather than a formal portrait.
The work shows a courtesan and her attendant engaged in a playful interaction with a dog, as indicated by the title and the Wikidata description listing a dog, woman, and courtesan among the depicted figures. This scene captures a moment of leisure and companionship within the courtesan’s private setting, emphasizing the affectionate bond between the figures and the animal. The painting thus presents an intimate, domestic genre image rather than a formal portrait.
Technique & Style
The work titled Courtesan and Attendant Playing with a Dog is recorded as a painting, confirming the use of paint as the primary medium. It was produced in Japan in 1726, as indicated by its inception date and creation location. The sources identify it as part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, though they do not specify the support material, handling procedures, or current condition.
Formal and stylistic attributes are not detailed in the available documentation, leaving such characteristics unspecified. The classification as a painting provides the only explicit technical information regarding medium.
History & Provenance
The painting Courtesan and Attendant Playing with a Dog was created in 1726 by the Japanese artist Nishikawa Sukenobu. The work is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, though the sources do not document its earlier ownership chain, commission circumstances, or how it entered the museum's collection. No specific patron or commissioning party is recorded.
The painting Courtesan and Attendant Playing with a Dog, created by Nishikawa Sukenobu in 1726, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. While the work is classified as a painting depicting a courtesan, an attendant, and a dog, the provided sources do not list a specific inventory or accession number for the piece. Furthermore, the available documentation offers no details regarding the artwork's exhibition history or past public showings.
The work is identified as originating from Japan and remains part of the museum's holdings, though specific cataloging identifiers and provenance records beyond its current location are not detailed in the referenced materials.
Overview
Nishikawa Sukenobu's painting, Courtesan and Attendant Playing with a Dog, dates to 1726. This work captures an intimate domestic scene, characteristic of the artist's focus on daily life and beauty in Edo period Japan. The painting is currently part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it represents a significant example of early 18th-century Japanese genre painting.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection















