Courtesan and Companions: Angry Warriors
Artwork
Medium:
Woodblock print
Date:
1888
Dimensions:
Artworks -
Height: 14"
Width: 28"
Description:
A multicolored three piece woodblock print. The panel on the left depicts two women looking frightened. The panel in the middle features a man and a woman who also look concerned, and in the panel on the right there are two men in armor.
Historical Context:
By the end of the Edo period (1603-1867), Hiroshige, Kuniyoshi and Kunisada were the top artists working with Japanese color woodcut in Edo. This kabuki triptych features two scenes from a play. At the left, a courtesan in a red kimono looks up at a man standing beneath a blossoming cherry tree. The beauty beside her holds a softly glowing lantern. At right, a warrior waves his fan as he glares down at a young samurai, gripping a polearm in his other hand.