Courtesan

Art Historical Context

This striking monochrome woodblock print, created around 1714 by the Japanese artist Kaigetsudō Dohan, captures the elegance of a courtesan during Japan’s Edo period (1615–1868). A time of relative peace and urban growth, the era saw the rise of ukiyo-e prints that celebrated the “floating world” of entertainment districts in cities like Edo (modern Tokyo). These works often portrayed beautiful women from the pleasure quarters, reflecting both the idealized allure of courtesans and the emerging tastes of a prosperous merchant class. Executed in sumizuri-e technique using only black ink on pap...