Gezicht op het Nieuwe Yoshiwara 1770 - 1775

Utagawa Toyoharu created this woodblock print depicting the New Yoshiwara district, which offers a glimpse into the floating world of Edo-period Japan. The Yoshiwara was a pleasure district, licensed by the government, and operated as a space of entertainment and commercial activity. It was a complex social space, where class distinctions blurred under the umbrella of pleasure and performance. In this print, the courtesans, or 'yujo', were celebrated figures, skilled in the arts of conversation, music, and dance. They often came from impoverished backgrounds, and life in the Yoshiwara was a mixture of opportunity and exploitation. Toyoharu's print captures this intricate setting, one where the boundaries between art, commerce, and human relationships were constantly negotiated. It invites us to consider the socio-economic forces that shaped the lives of these women and the complex dynamics of desire, power, and representation within the floating world.