Courtesan (after Eisen)  1887

The deft line of the courtesan illustrates the care with which Van Gogh studied Japanese prints. He based this painting on a woodcut by Kesai Eisen, which was reproduced on the cover of Paris illustré in 1886. He used a grid to copy and enlarge the Japanese figure, giving her a colourful kimono and placing her against a bright yellow background. We can tell the woman is a ...