Woma Woman Washing Her Face By Utamaro

Entertainment at a House of Pleasure (unknown artist, 17th cent.) (Fig. 7) is a very informative painting. It shows the lavish entertainments at one of the grand houses established for the entertainment of men. At the extreme right, four young women are encouraging a tipsy man to dance. Inside the pa-vilion men and women smoke and play games.

Entering the Teahouse by Katsukawa Shunshō (Fig. 8) the artist shows the formal procession of a grand courtesan as she comes from a house of pleasure to one of the assignation tea-houses, where the client is waiting with a group of entertainers. The courtesan is accompanied by two apprentices—a girl and a boy attendant, and an elderly couple, who must be the owner and his wife. At the back, the client is calmly smoking a pipe and gazing at the approaching vision. Two scenes are combined in one composition; it is a complex grouping of parading courtesan and scene inside the tea-house. Shunchō’s women have tenderness and grace that is extremely appealing. He employs a sensitive flowing line and perfect colour harmonies, and achieves effects that make his prints among the most satisfying in the whole history of ukiyo-e.
9)—the lady has washed her face in a shallow cop-per basin and is about to dry with a cotton towel. Utamaro presents the quiet, intimate moment as she pauses and glances over to her right at a potted morning glory in bloom
Lovers with Samisen by Harunobu (Fig. 10)—a variety of amusements is indicated—stringed instrument, remains of a sumptuous feast and the young woman who seems to be abandoning her musi-cal performance for more amorous