No. 13-8-13, from an untitled series of beauties 

Keisai Eisen created this woodblock print, No. 13-8-13, from an untitled series of beauties, sometime between 1790 and 1848. It belongs to the Ukiyo-e genre, which flourished during the Edo period, and celebrated urban life, particularly the pleasure districts. The artwork depicts a courtesan, her gaze modestly averted, holding a bundle of tissues, while a rooster pecks nearby. In Japan’s rigidly stratified society, courtesans occupied a complex position. Often coming from impoverished backgrounds, they were, in essence, indentured servants, yet some achieved celebrity, shaping fashion and culture. Eisen, who designed prints for brothels, imbues her with a sense of grace but does not shy away from her commercial reality. The rooster, a symbol of virility and awakening, adds a layer of irony. Is it a reminder of her professional obligations, or a subtle comment on the expectations placed on women? The print invites us to consider the tension between the courtesan's public role and her private self.