The Representation of Courtesans in Edo Japan
This exhibition takes an in-depth look into how courtesans are depicted in the artwork of Edo, Japan. Themes and issues that will be explored across the different works include the significance of color and pattern in clothing, analogous appearances, beauty standards, gender roles and expression, depiction of lifestyle, and social hierarchy in the pleasure districts. The beauty and desirability of a courtesan extends just beyond their natural physical features, but also encompasses one’s fashion sense, aesthetic taste, social ranking as a courtesan, their intellect and skill in the arts, and intangible virtues such as refinement and wisdom.
Courtesans and the pleasure districts represent a fantasy designed for men from any social class. Therefore, the artwork of courtesans that we see from the Edo period is painted for the male gaze and exemplifies their desire and ideals of what is beautiful and desirable in a courtesan. Although these artworks are not painted from the perspective of the actual courtesans from the Edo period, they are valuable in helping us understand the roles and responsibilities that courtesans played in the operation of the pleasure districts and their influence on fashion, gender expression, beauty standards, social hierarchy, and more in Edo’s society.
The courtesan became an object of idealized feminine beauty, emerging as the main subject matter for an entire genre of woodblock prints known as Bijin-ga (美人画, "beautiful person picture") To the unfamiliar eye, the women within such prints initially seem to be completely homogeneous but this is a biased and flawed perception of what should define a artistic portrait. One may understandably question how a person could be deemed beautiful if their portrait is similar to all the rest but the answer lies with a difference in cultural values and artistic practices. When artists wished to create a courtesan’s profile, oftentimes, these were not commissioned works so they would not meet their subjects first hand. (Fujisawa) Instead they would rely on what characteristics each beauty was famous for, as well as incorporating their family crests. (Fujisawa) The body language, fashion, and surrounding subject matter would all be used as one to convey an identity and portray the persona of a famous courtesan in Edo.
While courtesans embodied the image of youthful beauty and the feminine ideal, its translation often extended itself to dismantle the binary of gender expression. This is particularly apparent in the depiction of wakashu and kabuki actors. Young male wakashu were highly coveted curiosities, and they themselves were further sexualized by the artists of eighteenth century Japan. However, while the depiction of gender fluidity within the confined spaces of the pleasure quarters can be discerned as interrupting the rigid gender binary, the mere presence and practice of these districts perpetuate conventional notions of gendered behavior. The prolific nature of woodblock print distribution and its promotion of the feminine ideal further transfigures abstract notions of beauty into a physically tangible one. Thus, while the lively festivities in the pleasure quarters might welcome novel explorations of sexuality, it intrinsically sustains the patriarchal views of refined beauty.
Within the Courtesans there are also very distinct social classes from the lower to the upper class. From the aspect of appearance, kimonos play an important role in identifying people and indicating the occasion of that moment. Color and patterns matter are significant in Japanese society. They have differences in both appearance and sophistication as during this time not only physical appearance was judged when considering social rank but also other non-appearance related skills such as calligraphy, painting, or musical skills. They also had different levels of freedom to choose what they wanted to do depending on social class, as the upper class had very little freedom and often lived in more isolated environments to maintain their beauty. This is much different from the lower classes as they were allowed to roam freely around the Yoshiwara as long as they reported back to their pleasure houses and obtained choices within the house.
Although there are not many written records of what courtesans’ lives were actually like, some images of them help viewers understand how they spend their time each day. So much of their lives were based around following the latest beauty standards and refining their skills in order to please the patrons of Yoshiwara. There are depictions of posed courtesans looking flawless and elegant, and others that show them getting ready and socializing with other courtesans or maids. These images are all depicted through the male gaze, which demonstrates to viewers that men had high expectations and fantasies for courtesans and their appearances. By appreciating these images, viewers from today are able to identify people’s lives, social statues, and society from the Edo period.
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