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House of Pleasure

	Object Type	19th Century Japanese Scroll
	Artist	Gyosai
	Period	Meiji
	Materials	Color on Silk
	Creation Date	1880
	Dimensions	66.5 x 49.5 cm

Commentary

The versatility of this artist is fantastic. He can produce the huge daruma with a wide brush and wild flowing strokes and turn around and delicately draw a geisha party like this. Gyosai was known as a heavy drinker, and he got into trouble several times. This is almost like a self portrait with the disapproving Daruma peering over his shoulder. - JDP It is spring time, a group of people having a frenzied bacchanal at the upstairs of Yoshihara. An inebriated man dancing with three fans is satirically contrasted with Bodhidharma, who is grinning. Secular and sacred worlds are ridiculed humorously here. The viewers enjoy the humorously treated satire. This artistic approach is perhaps from Kuniyoshi's influence. As his studio names, "Bacchanal the Thunder " and "Thunder the Drunk" imply, he was a heavy drinker. Being a drinker, the orgy scene, as depicted here, is a familiar scene for himself. Expressive faces of each individual are thoughtfully enjoyable. His painstakingly careful preparatory organization can be perceivable through the choice of an auspicious theme, (pine, bamboo and plum trees), for three fans for the dancing man, Signature "Nyoku Kyosai-zu" on the divider in the picture and seal "Nyoku Koji" underneath. (Kobayashi)