Twee vrouwen bij de ingang van een badhuis 1825 - 1830

This woodblock print, by Utagawa Kunisada, depicts two women at the entrance of a bathhouse. Kunisada lived and worked in Japan during the Edo period, a time when the arts flourished alongside strict social hierarchies. The print offers a glimpse into the everyday lives of women in this period. We see the intimate act of assisting each other with clothing, highlighting the bonds between women in shared social spaces. The woman on the left is standing, elegantly dressed in a patterned kimono, while the other, seated, looks up at her. This positioning may reflect the social dynamics between them. Bathhouses were not only places for hygiene but also for socializing and relaxation, where women from different social strata could interact. These interactions were often governed by unspoken rules of etiquette and status, as subtly suggested in this scene. Kunisada’s work captures not just the visual but also the social textures of his time, reflecting both the beauty and the subtle complexities of human relationships within a structured society.