Courtesan

About the Artwork

Kaigetsudō Doshin was one of five painters in a studio operating under Kaigetsudō Ando (about 1671–1743) in the Asakusa area of Edo (now Tokyo). The workshop specialized in portraits, like this one, of high-ranking courtesans of the Yoshiwara district. Characteristic of those works, this painting features strong ink delineation of the subject’s twisting form and bold patterns in the kimono, as well as the absence of any sort of setting.

Inscriptions

Signed: Japanese painting for amusement, this was painted by Doshin, the last leaf of Kaigetsu (Nihon giga Kaigetsu matsuyo Doshin kore [o] zu [su]) Sealed: Ando

Provenance

1917: Purchased with funds from Worcester R. Warner [1846–1929] and Cornelia Blakemore Warner [1858–1947] by Langdon Warner [1881–1955], as agent of the Cleveland Museum of Art 1917–: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

Exhibition history

Arts of Japan from the Cleveland Museum of Art. Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, OH (organizer) (March 25-April 22, 1979). Japan’s Floating World 日本の浮世. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (April 8-October 9, 2022).

Quick Overview

Artist: Kaigetsudō Doshin (Japanese, active 1711–1736)
Date: early 1700s
Medium: hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
Dimensions: Painting only: 91.7 x 46 cm (36 1/8 x 18 1/8 in.); Including mounting: 170.2 x 67.3 cm (67 x 26 1/2 in.)
Type: Painting
Classification: Painting
Department: Japanese Art
Credit line: Worcester R. Warner Collection
Accession no.: 1917.97

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