"Yoshiwara by Moonlight" by HIROSHIGE Utagawa
This is a piece by HIROSHIGE Utagawa. This print is depicting a scene of two oiran or courtesans at the entrance of Yoshiwara pleasure quarters in Edo, leaving for work. There are cherry blossoms behind them, illuminated by the paper lanterns and the full moon. The Yoshiwara pleasure quarter glows compared to the outside of the entrance.
Initially looking at the print, the quality of the print is rather dull. It is a loose print and the paper was faded and had a couple creases on the edges. The print is mostly blue and black based, with little splashes of tan color and white. The ink quality of the print was dull and the colors either bled outside of the lines. Some of the ink did not fill inside the lines completely, so some of the paper is showing. There are a couple blue splotch stains throughout the print. The blues and black colors are not distinct so some of the women's hairs blend into the clothing and into the crowd of people. The edges of the moon are not sharp and overall there is little definition throughout the print. The print's width was longer than the height, so it was perhaps chūban or aiban. The print looks somewhat realistic in a sense that the author made a successful effort in creating depth. The objects and people themselves are not drawn realistically but the angles and proportions are good enough in creating some depth. Since the artist drew both the inside of Yoshiwara and outside, as the viewer it is as if you are standing right in the middle and witnessing the whole scene.
Looking at the scene as a whole, it appears to be a spring night in Edo, and it appears that people that were travelling and touring are leaving as well as the two oiran who are leaving for an evening's work. There are a few people in this print, and they all appear to be different classes mingling around or perhaps just leaving Yoshiwara. There are lower class people (indicated by the tanned skin), and either higher class women or entertainers with fairer skin. There are also children in this print. The courtesans look different from the other women. Starting from their posture (the courtesans backs are more hunched, where as the other women are standing straight) to the way they are dressed, they almost look like outcasts, being forced out of Yoshiwara. All the faces are either covered or lowered except for the courtesan on the left. The faces of these people are drawn in a very typical manner, although not very detailed. The street outside of Yoshiwara appears to be dimly lit and very dreary compared to the very well lit, almost celestial looking pleasure quarters.
The courtesans are looking back towards the pleasure quarters with a sense of longing and almost look as if they do not want to leave. There are elements of classic ukiyo-e, such as the full moon and the flower blossoms in the background of the scene. Ukiyo-e, meaning "pictures of the floating world", is defined to be the genre of woodblock print that showed, as stated by Asai Ryōi "... Living only for the moment, turning our full attention to the pleasures of the moon, the snow, the cherry blossoms and the maple leaves; singing songs, drinking wine, diverting ourselves in just floating, floating; ... refusing to be disheartened, like a gourd floating along with the river current: this is what we call the floating world...". So these images give the sense of pleasure and serenity around the Yoshiwara pleasure quarters. The blossoms almost don't look like flowers, but stars or lights that illuminate the town. It gives the viewer a moment to admire the beauty and enjoy the scenery. The people in the scene all blend very nicely with the sky and ground because they are all wearing blue or bits of blue, which highlights the pleasure headquarters more. Interestingly, the street outside of the entrance does not have any light shedding on it. There are people there as well, but they sort of blend into the walls and their faces are not drawn.
Yoshiwara was the red light (Akasen) district of Edo, or present day Tokyo. People involved in mizu shōbai (night time entertainment business) would have included: kabuki (theater), dancers, tea-shop girls, Kanō (painters), courtesans, and geisha. There were different types of courtesans such as: yūjo (prostitutes), shinzō (senior female students), kamuro (young female students), tayū (high-ranking courtesans), kōshi-jōro (just under tayū), hashi-jōro (lower-ranking courtesans), and oiran (prostitutes who were also entertainers). Unlike courtesans, geishas were never sexually involved with their clients. Stepping into Yoshiwara was like stepping into an alternate world. Social classes weren't as drawn out in the district, as long as a customer had money, they were all treated equally. Although people were discouraged from visiting Yoshiwara, many people entered in and out.
My interpretation of this print was that Yoshiwara is almost like this ethereal heavenly place people want to go to, like the Garden of Eden in the Bible or at least a heaven like place. The way they are looking back at the pleasure quarters longingly makes it seem like the people that go there just want to stay there. It might be the fact that they have to leave their residence and go to a foreign and not cozy environment to "entertain" their clients. The children seem reluctant to leave as well. The one little boy looks like he is being dragged out. The two children in the front do not look very happy leaving; it looks like they are asking for something. In fact, everyone in this print does not look happy leaving the quarters, going to the drab street. It is as if in Yoshiwara, you can be anyone, but the harsh reality of the world hits you when you leave. The way the moon illuminates the pleasure center seems to imply that in Yoshiwara, you can bask in all your pleasures and just be happy with your stay.
For some background information on the artist, HIROSHIGE Utagawa (also known as HIROSHIGE Andō) was born in 1797 and died in October 12, 1858. He also used his pen name HIROSHIGE Ichiyūsai. A Japanese ukiyo-e artist, was one of the last greatest artist in this field. He was born in Edo, which may be where his inspiration for this print may have come from. It is told that he wanted to become a ukiyo-e artist when he saw another artist, Hokusai's prints. He was an apprentice for his ukiyo-e master, TOYOHIRO Utagawa. Despite finding an early pen name and school license early on in his career, HIROSHIGE did not publish original works until six years after. He had a few moderately successful works, but he did not really gain recognition until his work, "Famous Places in the Eastern Capital" in 1831. "The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō" was the series of prints that truly established his career. He retired and became a Buddhist monk in 1856. This was also the year he began his One Hundred Views of Edo. His work began with common ukiyo-e themes such as women and actors. After the death of his sensei, his work evolved into more landscapes and unique uses of color. HIROSHIGE was known for his seasonal allusions, use of unusual vantage points, bold choices of colors. His works had some Western influence so he could achieve a sense of depth. Tourism in Japan during the Edo period was increasing so there was an increased interest in travelling. Many of his works were inspired by his own travels.
