Floating Beauty: Women in the Art of Ukiyo-e

Examines historical perspectives on women and their depiction in art in Edo Period Japan (1615 – 1858). Made up entirely of woodblock prints created in the ukiyo-e style, this exhibition highlights female characters in literature, kabuki theatre, and poetry; the courtesans and geisha of the Yoshiwara district; and wives and mothers from different social classes performing the duties of their station, in order to gain some insight into the lives of women in pre-modern Japan.

Image Credit: Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, 1760 – 1849), The Great Wave off the Coast of Kanagawa, 1830 – 1831, ink on paper, 10 x 14 1/2 inches, Museum Purchase, 1930.388.1. Reading Public Museum, Reading, Pennsylvania.

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