Beauties at the Seashore

About the Artwork

Bunchō portrays the popular subject of cooling off by the water on a late spring or early summer evening, as suggested by the willow. The seated lady enjoys her pipe-smoking—a popular pastime for Edo women. In the background, some fireworks are set off from a small boat.

Inscriptions

Undeciphered, severely faded seal in lower right corner

Provenance

?–1963: (N. V. Hammer, Inc., New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) 1963–: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

Exhibition history

Year in Review (1963). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 27, 1963-January 5, 1964). Ukiyo-e Paintings. Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (organizer) (April 5-June 19, 1966).

Quick Overview

Artist: Ippitsusai Bunchō (Japanese, active c. 1765–92)
Date: c. 1765–92
Medium: hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
Dimensions: Image: 41.3 x 54 cm (16 1/4 x 21 1/4 in.); Overall: 134 x 72.8 cm (52 3/4 x 28 11/16 in.)
Type: Painting
Classification: Painting
Department: Japanese Art
Credit line: John L. Severance Fund
Accession no.: 1963.506

Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.