Object Details
Artist
Nishikawa Sukenobu
Medium
Hanging scroll: ink and colors on paper
Dimensions
17 11/16 × 19 13/16 inches (45 × 50.3 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Robert J. Smith, PhD 1953, and Kazuko Smith
Object
Number
2005.044.035
The theme of the courtesan out strolling with her retinue of parasol bearer, attendants, and maidser(…)
The theme of the courtesan out strolling with her retinue of parasol bearer, attendants, and maidservants was very popular in ukiyo-e, representing one of the great public sights of the urban pleasure quarters. Pictures of famous courtesans were enjoyed for the glimpse they provided of these symbols of ideal feminine beauty and contemporary fashion. This painting was included in the exhibition Japanese Painters of the Floating World, presented at the Johnson Museum in 1966, which was cocurated by Robert Smith and former Johnson Museum curator of Asian art Martie Young. It was one of the first exhibitions to introduce American audiences to ukiyo-e paintings by artists who were better known in the West for their woodblock print designs. Kazuko Smith’s research for the exhibition deciphered the paintings’ seals and inscriptions. (“American Sojourns and the Collecting of Japanese Art,” curated by Ellen Avril and presented at the Johnson Museum June 25–December 18, 2016)
