Otsu-e Painting: Wisteria Girl

17th-18th century

Otsu-e got their name from the town of Otsu, a popular destination for pilgrims in the 17th–19th centuries. As souvenirs for travelers, Otsu-e paintings were made to be inexpensive, simple, and easily reproducible, characteristics that are at the core of Yanagi’s criterion of beauty. This example shows Wisteria girl (an ideal beauty), a recognizable figure that was commonly depicted in Otsu-e. This genre of painting commonly expressed good morals and duties but was sometimes also seen as satirically parodying the elite.

Ink and color on paper

24 3/4 x 9 5/8 in. (62.87 x 24.45 cm)

Overall h.: 42 in.

Overall w.: 11 1/8 in.

Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection

49.585

Photo: Beth Mann

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Exceptionally Ordinary: Mingei 1920–2020, Dec. 14, 2019 - Sept. 6, 2021.

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