Ukiyo-e:

Kunisada II's Bathhouse scene

by Sara VanEssendelft

This ukiyoe print by the artist Kunisada II (1823-1880) is an example of the bijinga “paintings of beautiful women” style that was begun during the Edo period by Torii Kiyonaga. Ukiyo-e, or "floating world", printing began in the first half of the 17th century and was dominant during the Edo or Tokugawa period (1615-1867). The popularity of ukiyo-e started to drop off during the mid-1800s, although interest in it has revived in recent years. While also attaining popularity abroad. Beginning with a very basic black line technique and evolving into what became known as the “brocade pictures”, containing up to 20 colors, ukiyo-e became a vibrant and accessible art form. The colorful multiple block technique characterizes the crisp, intricate prints we most commonly associate with ukiyo-e, as seen in this print.
The bathhouse scene was a familiar one to the Japanese, and, while an everyday setting, this print illustrates the character of the pleasure quarter. A figure on the left of the print holds a cloth in her mouth, indicative of her membership in the courtesan trade. The women are partially covered and fully coiffed which, along with the peaceful landscape visible through the bathhouse doors and windows, gives a sense of tranquility and culture. There is a feeling of quiet camaraderie in the print as the women interact subtly with one another. Kunisada II’s use of line and interior and exterior space create an interesting contrast when compared with Torii Kiyonaga’s Interior of a Bathhouse (1780s) (Mason plate 324). The print by Kunisada is much more airy and open because of the external view while the print by Kiyonaga is much closer and more confined. Both manage to maintain an exquisite sense of depth and line. The bathhouse prints make excellent use of linear, yet ethereal qualities inherent in ukiyo-e style pieces.