Artwork preview

Scene in the Yoshiwara

Hishikawa Moronobu

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

A Japanese woodblock print titled Scene in the Yoshiwara by Hishikawa Moronobu depicting people on a street. The image shows a beige background with darker beige and brown spots. The scene takes place on a street with a light-brown path. Two short wooden bridges are placed over a drainage ditch on the path. Several people are walking on the path. The people are wearing traditional Japanese kimonos. Most are walking to the right. A man on the left wears a beige and green outfit and a traditional hat. A person walks behind him wearing a red kimono. A woman walks in front of them wearing a white kimono with a blue underdress and a blue umbrella. She carries a basket in each hand. Two men walk behind her. The one on the left wears a white kimono. The man on the right wears a red kimono. A man wearing a blue kimono walks behind them. There are two buildings on the path. The building on the left has an awning and a glass enclosure. The enclosure has a tiled roof. People sit inside on stools. A woman walks to the right on the other side of the enclosure wearing a white kimono and a blue underdress. A person walks behind her wearing a black kimono. The building on the right has a white banner on it. A long white banner with black Japanese script hangs on a wall next to stairs leading up to a door. Two people stand on the steps. A man on the right wears a red kimono. A woman on the left wears a blue kimono. A man stands on the path to the right wearing a blue kimono. A man stands behind him wearing a red kimono. The room on the right has an orange sliding door.

Artwork Details

Date
ca. 1680
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Culture
Japan
Dimensions
599 × 374 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette