Artwork Page for Two Beauties

Details / Information for Two Beauties

Two Beauties

late 1700s–early 1800s

Kitao Shigemasa 北尾 重政

(Japanese, 1739–1819)
Culture
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
Medium
hanging scroll, pillar painting: ink and color on silk
Measurements
Painting only: 104.8 x 15.5 cm (41 1/4 x 6 1/8 in.); Including mounting: 175.3 x 32.7 cm (69 x 12 7/8 in.)
Credit Line
The Kelvin Smith Collection, given by Mrs. Kelvin Smith 1985.274
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Shigemasa favored using colors in broad opaque masses, as seen here in the beauties’ robes. He was a painter, printmaker, and poet, specializing in courtesan and actor prints. The format of this hanging scroll or "pillar painting" allows for the work to be hung on a pillar in a Japanese home.
A hanging scroll depicts vertical columns of calligraphy in the upper half above two women with light skin tones in the lower half. In the foreground, a woman wears a dark brown kimono with white and yellow floral patterns and a red sash. Behind her stands a woman in a striped red and brown kimono looking right. Fine lines outline the figures against the silk background in a narrow vertical composition.

Two Beauties

late 1700s–early 1800s

Kitao Shigemasa

(Japanese, 1739–1819)
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork