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New Yoshiwara (Shin Yoshiwara), from the series Famous Places in the Eastern Capital

Utagawa Kuniyoshiearly 1830s

The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States

In this dramatic night scene, Kuniyoshi emphasized the moon and its huge glowing halo. He employed Western-style shadows beneath the figures and the palanquin. The man at the center is singing with his mouth wide open. Perhaps he is headed home after drinking in New Yoshiwara, the pleasure quarter, visible only as a series of low rooflines in the background beyond the rice paddies. The chatting pair and wealthy passenger inside the palanquin may be on their way to the pleasure quarter.

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  • Title: New Yoshiwara (Shin Yoshiwara), from the series Famous Places in the Eastern Capital
  • Creator: Utagawa Kuniyoshi (Japanese, 1797–1861)
  • Date Created: early 1830s
  • Physical Dimensions: Sheet: 24.5 x 36.9 cm (9 5/8 x 14 1/2 in.)
  • Provenance: (Yamanaka & Co., New York, NY, sold to Edward L. Whittemore), Edward L. Whittemore [1862-1930], Cleveland, OH, bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Type: Print
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1930.202
  • Medium: color woodblock print
  • Series in Original Language: 東都名所
  • Original Title: 新吉原
  • Inscriptions: Signature: Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga Publisher: Kagaya Kichibei (Kagaya, Ryogoku, emblem) Censorship Seal: kiwame
  • Department: Japanese Art
  • Culture: Japan, Edo period (1615-1868)
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Edward L. Whittemore
  • Collection: Japanese Art
  • Accession Number: 1930.202
The Cleveland Museum of Art

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