“Beautiful women” visit Zurich

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Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825): Flowers in the wind Museum Rietberg

Left: Eishōsai Chōki (active ca. 1780–1809): Tsukasa Dayū from the Higashi Ōgiya whorehouse in Osaka's Shinmachi quarter. Right: Utagawa Kunisada (1786–1865): Preparing to go out swissinfo.ch

Kaigetsudō Dohan (active 1710–1736): Courtesan Museum Rietberg

Kitagawa Utamaro (1753–1806): A morning scene in a riverside whorehouse Museum Rietberg

Kitagawa Utamaro (1753–1806): Hanaōgi from the Ōgiya whorehouse in Edochō Itchōme Museum Rietberg

Kitagawa Utamaro (1753–1806): tea girl under a wisteria trellis Museum Rietberg

Left: Kitagawa Utamaro (1753–1806): Normally described as an easy girl. Right: Suzuki Harunobu (1725?–1770): Princess Sannomiya, the third princess from the "Story of Prince Genji" Museum Rietberg

Torii Kiyonaga (1752–1815): Seventh month, evening goodbyes Museum Rietberg

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The focus of the exhibition in Zurich’s Rietburg Museum are so-called bijinga, “beautiful women”, portrayed in traditional wood engravings from the 18th and 19th centuries.

The 100 wood engravings chosen come from the Honolulu Museum of Art, whose collection comprises some 10,000 individual sheets. The American writer and collector James A. Michener (1907-1997) was particularly fascinated by the “beautiful women” and bequeathed his collection to the museum. (Images: © Honolulu Museum of Art)