Pleasures of the Seasons c. 1700

Hishikawa Morohira’s “Pleasures of the Seasons”, made sometime in the 17th century, depicts a gathering of people enjoying the spring season, rendered in ink and color on paper. Painted during the Edo period, a time of relative peace and economic growth in Japan, such artworks provided a glimpse into the lives of the emerging merchant class who had the wealth to enjoy leisure activities. Here, identities are subtly coded through clothing, posture, and activity, offering clues to social standing and personal stories. Cherry blossom viewing parties like this were culturally significant events that drew people together across social strata. In the lower right, observe the women who are more elaborately dressed. These women occupy a liminal space where pleasure and performance intersect. The women’s attire marks them as objects of aesthetic contemplation, blurring the lines between art, artist, and audience. While ostensibly a celebration of leisure, the artwork implicitly reflects the complex interplay between social roles, gender expectations, and the commodification of beauty in Edo-period Japan.