Yosooi of the Matsubaya House

1798 - 1800

Japanese, 1769 - 1825

This especially fine impression is notable for its vibrant color, richly-patterned design, and superior printing. It is one of the highlights of the Kollar collection. Yosooi was a high-ranking courtesan associated with the prestigious Matsubaya house and a frequent subject of woodblock prints in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Toyokuni was one of several artists who captured the full measure of her stylish allure in portrait form. The prolific Toyokuni made innumerable prints in the first quarter of the 19th century. Though mostly remembered for his actor prints, his earliest work-exemplified by this striking print-is especially admired.

Woodblock print; ink and color on paper

14 7/8 x 11 1/4 in. (37.8 x 28.6 cm)

Gift of Mary and Allan Kollar

2014.32.5

Provenance: [Sebastian Izzard, New York]; purchased from gallery by Allan Kollar, Seattle, Washington, 2008; to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 2014

Photo: Colleen Kollar Zorn

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Fleeting Beauty: Japanese Woodblock Prints, Apr. 1 - July 4, 2010. Text by Catherine Roche. Cat. no. 36, reproduced pp. 11, 59.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Renegade Edo: Japanese Prints and Toulouse-Lautrec, July 21 - Dec. 3, 2023. Text by Xiaojin Wu. No cat. no., p. 101.

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