Two Beauties Looking at Kimono 1735 - 1790

Isoda Koryūsai created "Two Beauties Looking at Kimono," a woodblock print, at an unknown date. Koryūsai was a samurai turned artist who lived and worked during the Edo period, a time when Japan experienced economic growth and relative peace, but also rigid social structures. The print depicts two women, likely courtesans, examining an elaborate kimono. It reflects the era's emphasis on beauty and fashion, yet it also subtly acknowledges the constraints placed upon women within the pleasure districts. The kimono, a central symbol, becomes a canvas reflecting both the opulence and the restrictions of their world. Consider the emotional weight of their gaze. Are they merely admiring the garment, or are they contemplating the lives it represents—lives of beauty, performance, and confinement? Koryūsai invites us to ponder the multifaceted roles of women in Edo society, caught between admiration and introspection.