Courtesans Dressing and Making Up
early 19th century
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1898.74
Tags
About this artwork
Signed: Hishikawa Sori ga.
Art Historical Context
This painting by Hishikawa Sori captures a quiet moment in the lives of courtesans as they prepare for the day, a favorite subject in Japanese ukiyo-e art of the Edo period. Created in the early 19th century, the work belongs to a long tradition of depicting the “floating world” of entertainment districts, where fashion, beauty, and fleeting pleasures were celebrated. As a kakemono, or hanging scroll, it would have been displayed in a domestic setting, inviting viewers to appreciate the graceful poses and detailed costumes that defined the genre. Sori, whose signature appears on the painting,...