Utagawa Kuninao

1793-1854 Japanese

Depicted Edo courtesans in ukiyo-e prints

Utagawa Kuninao (歌川國直) was a pupil of Utagawa Toyokuni I (1769-1825) in Edo. He is not the same artist as Eisensai (Yanagawa) Kuninao (柳川國直 act. 1823 in Osaka). The life of the courtesan was an endlessly fascinating theme in ukiyo-e prints and paintings. The pleasure quarters served not only as erotic worlds of escape (at least for the patrons, if not for the indentured women), but also as social spheres where sophisticates gave themselves over to the spirit of asobi (play: 遊) within the yûkaku (places to play: 遊廓). They amused themselves by eating, drinking, listening to music, writing poetry, and engaging with the yûjo (women of pleasure and play: 遊女). While not serious in the usual sense, such pursuits could be intensely absorbing to the players involved. Moreover, these and other euphemisms for "play" carried with them connotations of an appreciation for imaginative pursuits and knowing how to play with wit and style. It was, however, also a world that was too expensive for the poor urban dweller or ordinary merchant. Thus voyeuristic portrayals of courtesans provided a substitute for actual engagement with the pleasure women.