Beauties of the Seasons---Summer

Object Details

Artist

Isoda Koryusai 磯田湖竜斎 (1735-1790)

School/Tradition

Ukiyo-e

Label

Comparatively little is known about Koryusai. Various sources suggest that he was once a samurai in the service of the Tsuchiya domain (present-day Hitachi, north of Tokyo), or that his father held such a post. As an artist and designer, Koryusai enjoyed the tutelage of the very popular Suzuki Harunobu (1724-1770) and for a time used the studio name of Haruhiro, apparently given to him by Harunobu. During the decade of the 1770s, Koryursai produced highly regarded "beauty" prints as well as bird-and-flower prints, which often favored a long, narrow format.

In these paintings, perhaps once part of a larger four-painting ensemble, Koryusai reveals himself to be a master of atmospheric evocation. His mature style, notable in the skillful depiction of worldly and sometimes churlish women, departs from the innocent beauties of the Harunobu style. The representation of the moods of the two women seen here (and the accompanying image, F1902.39) is elaborated by the surrounding context of nature. In this summer scene, a frowning courtesan opens her umbrella to guard against a sudden downpour. Her distinctive hair style, with exaggerated wings, was the rage in the An'ei era (1772-80). The silhouette of the hair style was said to suggest either an open umbrella or a lantern top. This clue reasonably indicates when the painting was produced.

Collection

Freer Gallery of Art Collection

Exhibition History

Freer: A Taste for Japanese Art (July 1, 2006 to January 1, 2007)

Surveying the Collections: Poets and Parties (July 2, 2000 to February 4, 2001)

Japanese Art (November 7, 1986 to July 19, 1988)

Japanese Ukiyo-e Painting (May 2, 1973 to July 1, 1974)

Japanese Art—Paintings, Pottery (August 18, 1967 to September 20, 1971)

Japanese Art, Galleries 3, 4, and 5 (January 1, 1963 to September 16, 1970)

Ukiyo-e Exhibition (August 7, 1961 to January 1, 1963)

Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Art, 1955 (October 25, 1955 to November 22, 1955)

Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Art (October 3, 1947 to February 25, 1956)

Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Screens and Scrolls, 1946 (April 30, 1946 to October 3, 1947)

Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Screens and Scrolls (April 5, 1933 to December 8, 1941)

Credit Line

Gift of Charles Lang Freer

ca. 1772-1780

Period

Edo period

Accession Number

F1902.38

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Painting

Medium

Color and gold on silk

Dimensions

H x W (image): 106.3 × 48.3 cm (41 7/8 × 19 in)

Origin

Japan

Related Online Resources

Google Cultural Institute

See more items in

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Topic

summer

Edo period (1615 - 1868)

woman

Japan

ukiyo-e

kakemono

Japanese Art

Charles Lang Freer collection

Record ID

fsg_F1902.38

Metadata Usage (text)

Not determined

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye308d6c639-fa6b-4321-b9d6-675caf5e0cfb