The Iris Garden 1774 - 1794

Torii Kiyonaga made this woodblock print, "The Iris Garden," in Japan, sometime in the late 1700s. The print reflects the aesthetic interests of the Ukiyo-e school of art, which flourished during the Edo period. Its name means "pictures of the floating world," and that world was one of leisure and entertainment, centered on the pleasure districts of Japan's major cities. Ukiyo-e prints were popular among the merchant classes, who had money but lacked the social status of the ruling samurai. As such, the art of this period often subtly critiqued social norms. In this print, we see two women enjoying a day out in a garden, perhaps a comment on the increasing freedom and mobility of women in urban settings. Iris gardens themselves were popular destinations and are the site of many Ukiyo-e prints. To understand this print more fully, one might consult the records of the printmaking studios and diaries or letters from the people living in Japanese cities at the time. What might seem like a simple, beautiful scene is ripe with complex historical meaning.