City Girl [left of a triptych of Three Beauties], 1830s
Mihata Jōryūexpand_more
Ink and color on silkexpand_more
Gift of the Clark Center for Japanese Art & Cultureexpand_more 2013.29.152.1
Not on Viewexpand_more
Although they are unsigned, these three paintings exhibit the idiosyncratic style of artist Mihata Jōryū’s beauties. At first glance their faces look similar, but Jōryū juxtaposes three types of femininity—a prostitute holding folded tissue paper, a geisha (entertainer) with a fan, and a city girl. Each one represents a different type of charm through her gesture and expression.
Mihata Jōryū was active in Kyoto during the 1830s, and his paintings of beauties with clear-cut features and luxuriously designed kimonos became very fashionable, even in Edo (present-day Tokyo). By the 1830s many artists had come to follow Jōryū’s style, but little is known about the artist himself. Even his name is somewhat unclear, because he uses seals that read “Jōryū” and others reading “Jōryō.” His family name is believed to be Mihata, but that also is uncertain, for he used the surname Yokoyama on at least one extant painting.
Details
- Title
- City Girl [left of a triptych of Three Beauties]
- Artist Life
- act. 1830s
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2013.29.152.1
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.