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The Courtesan Somenosuke of the Matsubaya House, from the series Contemporary Courtesans Drawn from Life
The Courtesan Somenosuke of the Matsubaya House, from the series Contemporary Courtesans Drawn from Life

The Courtesan Somenosuke of the Matsubaya House, from the series Contemporary Courtesans Drawn from Life

Artist/Maker (Japanese, 1754–1806)
Publisher
Date1799–1800
MediumColor woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper
DimensionsVertical ōban; overall: 15 1/4 × 10 1/4 in. (38.8 × 26 cm)
Credit LineMary A. Ainsworth Bequest
PortfolioContemporary Courtesans Drawn from Life
Object number1950.415
Status
Not on view
More Information
In this image of the famous courtesan Somenosuke, her name and the Matsubaya House are listed in the calligraphic inscription at the top. The cartouche at the lower left gives the title of the series, Contemporary Courtesans Drawn from Life (Tōji yūkun iki-utsushi), suggesting that these images were more “real” than others, bringing the viewer closer to these celebrated beauties. Sadly, only two prints from the series are known, this one and a portrait of another courtesan from the same house, named Yosooi. The number of prints in the original series is unknown.
Exhibition History
Summer Asia Institute Exhibition
  • Kresge Art Center, Michigan State University (June 24, 1959 - July 30, 1959 )
A Life in Prints: Mary A. Ainsworth and the Floating World
  • Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (February 3, 2015 - June 7, 2015 )
Ukiyo-e Prints from the Mary Ainsworth Collection
  • Chiba City Museum of Art, Chiba, Japan (April 13, 2019 - May 25, 2019 )
  • Shizuoka City Museum of Art, Shizuoka, Japan (June 8, 2019 - July 28, 2019 )
  • Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts, Osaka, Japan (August 10, 2019 - September 29, 2019 )
Ukiyo-e Prints from the Mary Ainsworth Collection
  • Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (January 14, 2020 - December 6, 2020 )
Collections
  • Asian
This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator. Noticed a mistake? Have some extra information about this object? Please contact us.