Restaurant Shōgetsurō at Yanagibashi 1867

"Restaurant Shōgetsurō at Yanagibashi," an ukiyo-e woodblock print, was created by Utagawa Kunisada II in nineteenth-century Japan. The print portrays a courtesan, her elaborate kimono cascading around her, standing before the Shōgetsurō restaurant. Kunisada’s courtesan exists within a rigid social hierarchy, and her attire and stylized depiction served to both denote status and commodify her image. The cool blues and grays evoke a sense of melancholy and reflect the courtesan’s complex position as both an admired figure and an object of desire. These prints often served as a form of advertising, subtly promoting the services and allure of the women and establishments they depicted. This image invites us to consider the intertwined dynamics of gender, class, and commerce in the floating world of Edo-period Japan. Kunisada’s print offers a glimpse into a world of beauty and artifice, where personal expression and societal expectations meet.