![Seasons of the Pleasure Quarters: no. 2, Shinmachi in Spring, During a Lesson (Kuruwa no shunju: Dai-ni haru [Shinmachi] Keiko no ma) by Kitano Tsunetomi — Japanese Woodblock print](https://data.ukiyo-e.org/scholten/images/045bf93015ff6c7c8a10708e1c8b2369.jpg)
Seasons of the Pleasure Quarters: no. 2, Shinmachi in Spring, During a Lesson (Kuruwa no shunju: Dai-ni haru [Shinmachi] Keiko no ma)
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Publisher:
$2,000–$15,000. Common prints: $2,000–$4,000. Key value factors: Kitano's sensuous Osaka-style bijin-ga have strong collector demand. His paintings command significantly higher prices.
The second print in the "Seasons of the Pleasure Quarters" series moves to the Shinmachi district in spring, depicting a woman during a lesson. The Japanese subtitle "Keiko no ma" (in the practice room) reveals the disciplined training behind the accomplished performances of pleasure-quarter entertainers. Shinmachi was one of Osaka's three major licensed quarters, and spring, with its associations of fresh starts and blossoming, provides an appropriate seasonal frame for a scene of learning. The practice room setting allows Tsunetomi to show his subjects in an unguarded, working state, focused on perfecting their art rather than displaying it. This behind-the-scenes perspective, showing the labor rather than the product, gives the series a documentary quality that distinguishes it from more idealized bijin-ga. A musical instrument or dance fan likely features in the composition as a prop of the lesson underway.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Seasons of the Pleasure Quarters: no. 2, Shinmachi in Spring, During a Lesson (Kuruwa no shunju: Dai-ni haru [Shinmachi] Keiko no ma) was created by Kitano Tsunetomi (北野恒富).
Seasons of the Pleasure Quarters: no. 2, Shinmachi in Spring, During a Lesson (Kuruwa no shunju: Dai-ni haru [Shinmachi] Keiko no ma) was published by Watanabe Shozaburo.
Seasons of the Pleasure Quarters: no. 2, Shinmachi in Spring, During a Lesson (Kuruwa no shunju: Dai-ni haru [Shinmachi] Keiko no ma) depicts spring and seascapes.
